Cashmere Pashminas - Fine Fashions - Felt Footwear

Cashmere - Pashmina shawls have been manufactured in Nepal and Kashmir for thousands of years. In ancient culture, cashmere fibre was reserved only for royalty, because of its high-quality and unique fine softness. It takes an entire year and the combed wool coats of three Changthangi goats to make just one pashmina shawl. *** I met Omer, my good friend and partner in Nepal, while on a shopping outing for gifts in the market. I was with a colleague. We had been in Nepal for several months doing relief work, after the devastating earthquakes in April and May of 2015. There are many shops in the area, but Omer was particularly genuine, entertaining and accomodating. He helped us to find the highest quality of gifts for a variety of loved ones back home. We got a good price and he did not try to oversell us. Omer was raised in Kashmir. He learned the business from his father. He grew up with all of the fine products in his own home. His father would take him to the village where the beautiful scarves and elegant rugs were made by hand. As a young man, he developed a passion and an eye for the lovingly made handcrafted items. He saw a way to help his people and to make an admirable living. He moved to Nepal and started his business. It was difficult and he experienced many challenges and setbacks, before finding his stride. Then he began to prosper and business was good for several years. That is until the Covid-19 pandemic of 2020. Everything was shut down and business came to a grinding halt. He and his wife have struggled. They have a new baby. My desire is to help Omer, because I know that he is a man of character and goodwill. I cherish our friendship and want to see him prosper again. Jay