ORIGIN STORIES: Hangai Mountain Textiles
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NAME: Hangai Mountain Textiles
BASED IN: Basalt, Colorado
IN BUSINESS SINCE: 2017
FOUNDED BY: Betina & Bill Infante
KNOWN FOR: Blankets, throws, and accessories knit and woven from hand-combed cashmere, yak down, and baby camel fiber
“On a frigid January morning in 2006, we landed in the capital city of Mongolia, Ulaanbaatar, with our young children. So began our relationship with a magnificent country — where we lived for over a decade — that reveres ‘Ikh Tenger,’ the great blue sky that meets the grasslands covering much of the country. Herds of sheep, cashmere goats, yak, and camels graze this grassland — the steppe — and the mountain landscape.”
“Years later, at home in Colorado, our treasured Mongolian blankets were a real conversation piece and inspired us to explore developing a home textile brand that showcases the best of Mongolia's hand-combed fiber.
After many conversations with Mongolian friends, research on fiber harvesting and processing, textile design and production, and supply chain logistics, we took the leap and began Hangai Mountain Textiles. ”
“We are not interested in mass-producing Hangai.”
“A monumental amount of work goes into producing a Hangai collection. Each spring, cashmere goats, yak, and baby camel are combed for their soft undercoat. Herder families collect these hand-combed fibers around Mongolia, then truck them in large canvas bags across rugged terrain to Ulaanbaatar. The fiber is painstakingly hand-sorted by color and quality, and then washed, de-haired, and carted before being dyed, if needed, and then spun into the high-quality yarn that is used to knit or weave a Hangai collection. ”
“We develop our collections with our partners: herder families, local associations and cooperatives, and the knitters and weavers who share our values and embrace fair trade, sustainable production, and traceability. We’re lucky to work with designers, specialty retailers, and boutique hotels who value these things too.
We take inspiration from art, the environment, and Mongolian culture. We’re most known for our Bauhaus collection, which we launched to honor the women of the Bauhaus during its 100-year anniversary in 2019.
We are also making a market for rare yak down. The fiber itself is comparable in length and diameter to better-known fibers such as cashmere. Longer hand-combed fibers resist pilling, and finer fibers bring luxurious softness.”
“Most people don't realize that yak fiber is so soft and exquisite — one of nature’s most refined fibers.”
“Unlike sheep’s wool, yak down contains no lanolin, making it an excellent choice for those with wool sensitivities or allergies.
Though the fiber is relatively unknown in the U.S., yak has a unique sustainability story. Yaks graze without uprooting the native steppe grasses, unlike other animals. Most of our yak down products are knit from all-natural unbleached and undyed fiber, which further reduces environmental impacts.
The yak down used in our collections is mainly sourced from the Hangai mountain range, which inspired our brand name. ”
“Mongolia is the second-largest producer of cashmere in the world, but about 90% of its cashmere is exported raw to China, Scotland, Italy, and other countries for processing, knitting, and weaving. This leaves little fiber for local manufacturers.
All of our products are made exclusively in Mongolia, ensuring that local producers benefit most from partnering with us.
To the best of our knowledge, we are the only American company producing blankets and throws exclusively in Mongolia for the U.S. market: from the herders to your home, every Hangai throw blanket or accessory is 100% Mongolian-made.”
