Fashion

How is Burberry making cashmere more sustainable?

As part of a five-year initiative, the brand is working with goat herders in Afghanistan to ensure the luxury fibre is produced as responsibly as possible. Here’s what you need to know….

“Cashmere is a really important raw material for the luxury fashion industry,” Pam Batty, secretary to the Burberry Foundation and VP of corporate responsibility at Burberry, tells Vogue. “We chose Afghanistan [for the program] because it’s the world’s third largest producer of cashmere after China and Mongolia. We were also very aware of the social and economic challenges [faced by] the people of Afghanistan—it’s suffered from years of conflict and has been impacted significantly by climate change.”

What does Burberry’s cashmere initiative involve?

Despite 90% of goats in Afghanistan producing cashmere, the vast majority of herders are simply not aware of its value as a luxury raw material. “They’re sitting on a goldmine, if the right techniques are employed,” says Agnė Baltaduonytė, advocacy manager at Oxfam in Afghanistan, which is partnering with Burberry on the initiative. “It starts with knowledge: ‘This is how you clean it’, ‘This is how you process it’.”

Helping goat herders to form collectives allows them to get higher prices for their cashmere. Previously, individual herders would have to sell to middlemen rather than the big traders—meaning they’d be paid significantly less. In less than three years, the initiative has helped raise the price of cashmere in Afghanistan from $17 per kg in 2017 to as high as $31 per kg in 2019. “Now herders have access to one-stop shops inside their communities, where they can collect their cashmere [together] and sell a larger amount for a much higher price,” says Mohammad Ali Roshan, cashmere program manager at Oxfam in Afghanistan.

Empowering women, who play a crucial role in these herding communities, is another key aspect of Burberry’s cashmere initiative. “Women are often the ones working with livestock, doing the de-hairing [separating fine cashmere from the coarser hairs],” Baltaduonytė says, adding that 28% of the herders supported through the initiative so far are women. “We’ve been trying to promote women in leadership positions, and having female coordinators at the stop shops.”

Image may contain Nature Outdoors Field Grassland Animal Cattle Mammal Cow Herd Human Person and Bird — Herder Amir Shah attends to his goats on a graveyard of the village of Yaka Tal.Joel van Houdt for Burberry

How will the initiative help to protect the environment?

Ensuring that herders in Afghanistan have financial security is important from an environmental perspective, too. “We are seeing overstocking of pastures, but it’s not cashmere that’s producing that situation—there are a lot of different livestocks that Afghan producers have,” explains Andrew Nobrega, global programs director at PUR Projet, a bespoke project development company working on the initiative. “If we want to see a reduction of overstocking, we need to improve the livelihoods of the producers so they have the flexibility to help manage those ecosystems in a better way.”

Tweet LinkedIn PinShares0

News

Air Jordan 3 “Paris” Reportedly Trades Elephant Print for Damask

Jordan Brand may be preparing to drop a special Air Jordan 3 dedicated to one of the world’s most recognizable cities. Landing in June 2027, the Air Jordan 3 “Paris” comes with a unique design that ditches the usual elephant print. Instead, the rumored edition is said to feature damask detailing, special Paris-inspired branding, and a limited drop focused on the French capital.

The first word comes from @zSneakerHeadz, but Jordan Brand has not confirmed the sneaker yet. A mockup is currently circulating, so the final look may differ. That said, the described design is an interesting direction for the Air Jordan 3, especially for fans used to seeing elephant print as one of the silhouettes hallmark visual elements.

The shoe is said to feature a white tumbled leather upper with a navy rubber outsole. The most noticeable change is replacing the traditional elephant print with a damask print. The pattern is reportedly on the toe and heel, with another section next to the Jumpman logo on the tongue. The treatment gives the sneaker a different visual character without straying from the Air Jordan 3’s recognizable structure.

More branding is expected to tie the release closely to its namesake city. The mudguard is said to have the wording “Jordan Paris Family 91, 92, 93, 94,” while the heel is said to have “NIKE PRS.” The details give the shoe a more specific identity than a simple colorway, with the reported inscriptions presenting it as a tribute to Paris and its role in the Jordan Brand story.

The sneaker is expected to be released in men’s sizing and will carry the style code JJ3727-100. It retails for $230 and will be available in select Jordan Brand stores in Paris. If the release details are accurate, the limited distribution may make the pair tough for sneaker fans outside the city to get their hands on. But the brand has not confirmed the information that has been reported, and the image shown is a mockup and not an official product reveal.

The Air Jordan 3 “Paris” is also expected to join a growing list of regional releases such as the Air Jordan 3 “Middle East.” These projects give Jordan Brand the chance to attack the same silhouette through various regional themes, not just the usual retro colorways. The damask pattern with city-specific branding would, in this case, make the Paris edition clearly distinct.

This classic Air Jordan 3 shape combined with a strange pattern is bound to appeal to collectors. The expected Paris-only distribution adds another layer of exclusivity, although the final release details have yet to be confirmed. If the June 2027 launch comes to fruition as described, the Air Jordan 3 “Paris” could be one of the more unique regional editions on Jordan Brand’s calendar.

Tweet LinkedIn PinShares0

News

Nike LeBron 24 “Christmas” – Holiday Collection Gets Grinchy Green Look

Nike Basketball’s holiday collection is starting to take shape, and LeBron James’ latest signature shoe is bringing a particularly loud look to the seasonal crop. First-look images of the Nike LeBron 24 “Christmas” have surfaced, showcasing a black and electric green colorway with metallic silver accents. The rumored Grinch-inspired direction of the upcoming release is shaping up to be one of the more unique additions to Nike’s Christmas footwear collection.

The shoe will be dropped on December 4 for $200. Its most striking feature is the electric green colorway, which gives the design a strong visual identity. Black is used on the upper for contrast, and metallic silver is seen on the Swoosh near the heel. Another contrasting touch comes from a red logo on the tongue, offering a subtle nod to holiday colors within the overall aesthetic. The shoe continues the theme with a green rubber outsole below.

Aside from the looks, the LeBron 24 “Christmas” also features performance elements associated with the broader LeBron 24 line. The outsole has a Zoom Turbo unit that is said to keep the shoe light and quick. That bit gives the holiday edition purpose beyond just its seasonal styling, keeping it tied to the basketball performance direction of the signature series.

The Grinch concept is part of a larger “naughty list” theme that also includes the Sabrina 4 and Book 2. Rather than treating the LeBron 24 as a standalone holiday release, Nike seems to be building a connected seasonal collection around the idea. The electric green colorway fits that direction, making the shoe pop while giving the broader theme a recognizable visual thread.

The first glimpse of the sneaker came via a 360-degree video Nike shared. The audience got a first look at the color blocking and design details as the shoe was presented from various angles. A handful of basketball creators also got a sneak peek at the pair earlier on a trip to Nike headquarters, helping build the early hype around the release.

The style code is IO8205-300 and the shoe is expected to drop in men’s sizing through Nike and select retailers. The December 4 date and $200 price point give us a sense of what to expect, but the information provided doesn’t list every retailer that will sell the sneaker.

The Nike LeBron 24 ‘Christmas’ is holiday-themed and performance-inspired for LeBron’s signature line, featuring a bright green colorway with silver details, red tongue branding, and an outsole with Zoom Turbo cushioning. Its Grinch-inspired theme also fits clearly into Nike Basketball’s broader seasonal plans. If you’re a fan of the brand’s Christmas releases, this pair is already making a strong first impression.

Tweet LinkedIn PinShares0