SUSTAINABILITY STARTS WITH MATERIALS INNOVATION Considered every thread of the way
History of Commonly Known Materials Natural Fibers Man-made Fibers
An early DuPont fiber innovation occurred in 1910 with the development of plastic-coated fibers. Since that time, DuPont has been responsible for nearly 75 percent of the 40-plus major polymers commercially produced, all of which trace their origin to the development of condensation polymerization. 1925
1950 1953
1965
Sustainability starts with materials innovation (New) Materials input Waste Production Processing Waste Product used Collection by consumer Post-Consumer Waste
Post WWII synthetic fibers quickly became the dominant fiber. Lately, natural fiber making a come back. Natural Fiber Synthetic Fiber 1940s 90% 10% 1980s 70% 30%
SHOKAY
About the yak 100g Yaks have two types of hair: coarse hair that is used to make tents and fine down hair used to make clothing. Each yak every year only can provide 100g of its fine downy fiber. 3500m Yaks generally live on the Tibetan plateau at altitudes over 3500m 80% 80% of the world’s yak population is in Western China 14,000,000 There are 14 million yaks in the world. For every 5 cashmere goats there is only 1 yak.
11 years ago, a diamond in the rough
From combing to segmentation
We developed an ecosystem of partners from raw material to finished products to innovate across the supply chain Sourcing Dehairing Dying Spinning Knitting/weaving • Trained Tibetan • Clearly segments • Has developed over • Has developed a • Works with factories herders to sort raw different qualities of 100+ colors variety of different on finishing yak fiber by quality yak fiber to be used blends and yarn techniques to and color for different counts maximize hand feel purposes but minimize pilling downstream
Shokay also has ongoing projects with many academic and government institutions to further advance the industry Government bodies Industry Associations Academic Institutions
Unique Properties of Yak Down Yak is 30% warmer than wool and Yak down is a luxury fiber that is relatively unknown to the fashion world. 1.6X more breathable than cashmere Each yak produces about 100g of fine downy fiber. The average fineness of down from an adult yak is 18-20 microns, while the length is around 30-40 mm. The most common natural color of the yak is a dark chocolate brown, but can also be found in white, tan, and gray. Unlike wool, the scales of yak fiber are in a waved mosaic pattern, resulting in a very smooth fiber that does not itch. Warm Breathable Non-itchy Non-allergenic Biodegradable Oil free Waterproof
Yak fiber properties Test Yak Cashmere Merino Wool Fineness ++ +++ + Fiber length + ++ +++ Fiber Strength +++ ++ + Warmth +++ ++ + Air permeability +++ + ++ Smoothness ++ +++ + Price ++ + +++
Is yak the new cashmere? … yak has the advantage of unconventionality. “Cashmere is mainstream,” said Mr. Berga . “Now you have cashmere from Uniqlo and Zara.” Mass - market ubiquity has diluted some of its charm and even its quality. With yak, fewer suppliers make purity easier to guarantee. Which is why high-end brands like Incotex, Massimo Alba and Ermenegildo Zegna have turned to it as an alternative to cashmere. “There are very few brands producing yak, so now is the right moment to buy it,” said Mr. Alba. “You have the chance to do something before anyone else. ” – Wall Street Journal (11/26/2016)
Shokay Fibers & Tops Classifications Shokay stocks dehaired fibers in different classifications to enable spinning mills to choose the optimal price/quality ratio based on their needs Available colors Natural color (chocolate brown) Heathered (khaiki) Processed white fiber (cream). Specification Fineness: 18-19 micron Length: 28-30mm
Shokay Yarns Shokay Yarns include both machine spun and hand spun yarns that are spun with 100% yak yak/wool blends yak/pima cotton blends yak/bamboo blends With yarn counts that vary from 18s to 60s, the yarns can be used for machine knitting, machine weaving, and hand knitting. Many brands around the world have started using Shokay Yarns in their designs.
Shokay Fabrics Fabrics made from yak have an extremely soft surface suitable for the next-to-skin touch, has anti-wrinkle properties, and a beautiful body due to the resilience of the fiber. We have collaborated with Mitsuboshi, a Japanese fabric company, to develop a special line of fabrics of the highest quality. Our current fabrics are most suitable for outwear and include the following blends 100% yak 50% yak/ 50% wool double faced fabric
Shokay Finished Products Knitwear Women Men Accessories Hats Gloves Scarves Shawls Home & Lifestyle Throws Pillows Hand knit toys
Artist in Residence Collection At Rest Shawl Prayer Flag at Full Watercolor Brush Shawl AC-SH-DR Flutter Shawl AC-SH-WR AC-SH-DF Ready for Release Shawl Stacked Shawl Mist and Ripples Shawl AC-SH-DY AC-SH-DS AC-SH-MR All Artist in Residence Shawls are digitally printed Woolen Gang Shawl on 100% Yak. Custom Watercolor Block Shawl printing option available AC-SH-DW AC-SH-WB
Making a difference Shokay considers our success not only in terms of profit, but also by how we are impacting the communities we work with in rural China. Empowering young Tibetans Shokay now trains young Tibetans to set up local businesses and cooperatives to assist Shokay with on the ground training and sourcing. 1000+ families Thousands of families are now involved in our supply chain. Restoring identity & dignity Through our Artist in Residence Program and Qinghai Expeditions, we create a cultural dialogue between artists, local communities, and our customers. The process invites local herders embrace their culture and identity with greater dignity and pride.
We continuously reinvest into the local communities 800 herders 20% income increase Over 800 herders in Qinghai have benefitted In 2010, Shokay started a handspun yarn from Shokay’s health care programs, which cooperative in Qinghai. Women trained through has included health care training, free clinic, the program can increase their income by over and giving out free eye glasses. 20%.
Our Approach Identify unique sustainable materials We look specifically at underutilized natural materials, renewable resources, and consumer waste to identify sustainable materials that we can take to market Develop new products along the supply chain We develop new products along the supply chain, from yarns, fabrics, to fillings, to broaden end-use applications Drive end-consumer demand We partner with brands and designers interested in using sustainable materials to develop new products and launch creative marketing strategies to drive end-consumer demand
The Problem: sea waste + land waste PET Bottles Oyster Shell Over 4 million tons of oyster shell waste is 10% of all US oil consumed is used to make plastics, which if not recycled, end up in the landfill produced every year, with 3.4 tons being in China. or in the sea. Many countries now recycle between Oyster shells become solid waste that often piles 30-50% of PET bottles, which can be melted and up in coastal cities, taking up precious space and reused for other purposes. 1 pound of polyester resulting in foul smells. fiber can reuse 10 plastic bottles.
How It’s Made • Bottles are recycled, Recycled • Oyster shells are collected, and chopped Recycled recycled, collected, bottles into chips and pulverized into oyster shells powder. • Chips are melted to • The oyster Chips & make into uniform powder coats Oyster shell Pellets pellets, which then are the pellets to re-melted to spin yarn powder create a composite yarn. • Yarn is knitted or woven Yarn into fabric Fabric
W: www.shokay.com E: info@shokay.com Facebook.com/shokaysocial Facebook.com/shokaytaiwan shokay.tmall.com Thank you & 扎西德勒！ SHOKAY-collection
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