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SHOKAY is a socially-responsible premium yak down brand committed to sustainable practices throughout every step of the manufacturing chain. Our luxury knitwear, home accessories, yarns and fabrics are available in over 10 countries across the globe. Since its establishment in 2006, SHOKAY has developed an international following for this little-known natural fiber from the remote Tibetan highlands.
Derived from the Tibetan term for "yak down", SHOKAY uses this incredible soft and delicate fiber as the key component of all its products. This precious natural down is hand-combed from yaks raised in the remote Himalayan highlands, then used to create beautiful textiles with an astoundingly soft and luxurious feel. In terms of quality, softness, breathability and warmth, SHOKAY products are comparable with pure cashmere or alpaca, yet are value for money.
Through constant innovation, SHOKAY has established a complete and internationally competitive supply chain, adding value at every stage of the manufacturing process and creating fair opportunities. SHOKAY invites experts from overseas to provide comprehensive training to equip suppliers with the required skills and expertise, from hand-combing yak down to classification based on quality, from weaving yarns into fabrics to dyeing. We also work with local and overseas artists and designers to design timeless collections for every season.
Over the past 10 years, SHOKAY has worked closely with our partners throughout the supply chain to expand the yak down industry, driving constant innovation towards developing new products and uses for this material, including development of new textile blends that combine yak down with bamboo fibers, Pima cotton, cashmere, Merino wool, linen, silk and other natural materials. Notably, SHOKAY has recently collaborated with Japanese textiles company MITSUBOSHI to develop a range of 100% natural yak down textiles. SHOKAY has also perfected unique, environmentally-friendly fabric dying techniques for yak down, opening up vibrant new aesthetic possibilities for the material.
The birth of SHOKAY has not only vastly improved the yield and quality of yak down, but has rewarded local herders and producers with new opportunities and stable income sources. For example, SHOKAY sources raw yak down directly from herders, resulting in a 15-20% increase in incomes for over 3,000 herders each year. SHOKAY's popular hand-woven products are created by skilled crafters in Chongming, helping women in the area overcome unemployment while increasing local incomes by up to 30%. Aside from stimulating local economies, SHOKAY has also spent the past 10 years improving the lives of Tibetans by offering free medical care, providing education and training to improve healthcare in underdeveloped areas in Tibet.
SHOKAY also established the Artist in Residence collaboration program to showcase the local cultures and stories behind our products, tracing their origins back to the far-flung Tibetan region of Qinghai, where the SHOKAY journey to create true sustainable luxury began.
