Alpaca? Nah. Lamb? Uh uh. Cashmere? Whatever. Yak? Absolutely!
Always on a quest for new advances in textile technology, I was excited to come across Norla, a company from the Tibetan Plateau, making rustically lovely accessories using the hair of this not-so-commonly-worn bovine. You may ask “What’s the big deal?” Well, according the web site, Yak weaves into fabrics of extreme warmth and durability while still maintaining a buttery soft hand; something we east coasters would love to wrap ourselves up in this time of year! The wool is then sorted, spun, and woven with traditional methods into fabrics, shawls, scarves, and throws. With the softness of cashmere and the strength of camel, I’m wondering how long it will take before we see the Yak make its New York Fashion Week debut. My guess, not so long.