How We Think About Ethical Production
A calm, disciplined working system that protects our people, your brand and the long-term health of every cashmere program we produce.
Ethics as a Daily Working System, Not a Slogan
Ethical production at Kanchan Cashmere is built into the way we plan, schedule and manage work every day. It is not a separate initiative or a seasonal campaign — it is the framework that protects our people, our buyers and the long-term health of the factory.
From realistic timelines and controlled overtime to transparent communication with teams and buyers, we treat ethics as a practical discipline. A calm, predictable line reduces pressure, protects decision-making and allows craftsmen and craftswomen to work with focus, not fear. This is the only environment in which true luxury knitwear can be created consistently.
For our partners, this means more than compliance. It means that orders are produced in a workplace that values stability, dignity and long-term relationships. The same care that you see in our knitwear is reflected in how we manage working hours, wages, safety and respect on the production floor.
Ethics, for us, is not a marketing label. It is visible in quiet details: how we pace lines before a holiday period, how we respond when timelines become tight, how we handle mistakes and how we speak to each other when nobody is watching. These decisions, repeated thousands of times, shape the real character of the factory.
Safe, Respectful, Long-Term Employment
Our factory operates as a stable workplace, not a temporary production hub. Many members of our team have been with us for years, moving from basic knitting to advanced linking, washing and floor leadership. This continuity is at the heart of both quality and ethics.
We provide clear working hours, structured breaks and an environment designed to be calm and focused. Loud, aggressive or fear-based management is not accepted. Supervisors are trained to handle production challenges through planning and communication rather than pressure.
Our workplace commitments include:
- Respectful, non-discriminatory treatment of all staff
- No child labour and no forced labour in any form
- Defined working hours and controlled overtime
- Clear wage structures, paid on time
- Safe, clean and organised production areas
- Open-door communication with management for concerns
We encourage feedback and concerns to be raised early. When issues are reported, they are discussed, documented and addressed. The objective is not to appear perfect, but to respond honestly and constructively so that the factory is always moving in the right direction.
Certified Inputs and Realistic Buyer Commitments
Ethical production starts with what enters the factory. We work with leading spinners and accessory partners who provide certified yarns and certified trims from globally recognised programs. This allows brands to build responsible knitwear stories without compromising on fibre quality or performance.
Equally important is how orders are planned. We align buyer calendars with realistic capacity so that ethical standards are not compromised by last-minute pressure. When timelines are tight, we discuss options openly rather than compressing work into unsafe or unreasonable schedules.
In practice, this means:
- Using certified yarns and accessories from trusted global mills
- Confirming yarn readiness before committing to shipment dates
- Planning capacity by gauge, machine and process — not on paper only
- Flagging unrealistic requests early, with alternatives where possible
- Protecting teams from sudden, unmanaged workload spikes
For buyers, this planning discipline is one of the most important ethical guarantees. It ensures that promised launch dates are supported by real capacity, not by hidden overtime or unsustainable pressure on the people making the garments.
Structured Systems Behind the Production Line
Ethical intent has to be supported by structure. At Kanchan Cashmere, governance sits behind the visible production line — attendance, payroll, safety procedures, documentation, training and buyer communication are all treated as part of the same system.
Our internal policies cover working hours, leave, behaviour on the production floor, handling of quality issues and the escalation of any grievance or concern. These policies are applied consistently and are reviewed as the factory evolves. Where buyers have specific codes of conduct, we map our processes against them and work together to close any gaps.
We keep clear records of production, attendance, wages and export documentation. This traceability supports financial stability, ethical oversight and long-term partnership with brands that need visibility into how and where their knitwear is made.
Governance is also about how decisions are made under pressure. When timelines, quantities or specifications change, we review impact across people, capacity and cash flow rather than pushing the problem down the line. This keeps responsibility aligned with reality.
Building Skills and Confidence Over Seasons
Ethical production also means giving people space to grow. We train knitters, linkers, washers and quality controllers to understand not only the task in front of them, but the impact of their work on the final garment and on the buyer’s trust.
New team members start with simpler tasks and move into more complex structures, finishing or leadership roles as their skills develop. Mistakes are treated as learning points inside a structured system, not as reasons for blame. This approach keeps the atmosphere calm and encourages ownership of quality at every station.
We also document technical learning — how specific yarns behave, how certain gauges respond to washing, where seams need reinforcement. This knowledge is shared across the floor so that one person’s experience becomes a resource for the whole team.
Over time, this culture creates a quiet pride in the line. People know that their work is part of collections sold in serious boutiques and luxury spaces, and that the way they work each day is as important as the final stitch on a sweater.
Working Openly With Serious Partners
We welcome buyers who view ethical production as a long-term commitment, not just a line in a presentation. For such partners, we share clear information about our processes, planning logic and how we manage people and capacity.
Where audits, questionnaires or deeper due diligence are required, we treat them as part of building a stable partnership. Our goal is always the same: to align expectations early, avoid surprises later and keep both quality and ethics in balance across seasons.
When we identify areas for improvement, we are transparent about the steps being taken and the timelines involved. This honest, incremental progress is more powerful than quick fixes that disappear after an audit visit.
Rooted in Kathmandu, Connected to Global Standards
Kanchan Cashmere operates at the intersection of local craft and global expectation. From Kathmandu, we align our systems with international standards while respecting the realities of our community and the people who live and work here.
At yarn level, we prioritise partners who offer recognised certifications such as SFA, GRS, OEKO-TEX, GOTS and RWS. These frameworks support animal welfare, fibre traceability, chemical management and recycled content — giving brands a solid base for their own sustainability narratives.
Locally, we focus on stability and continuity: steady employment, predictable income, and a factory that can operate responsibly year after year. In a market where short-term thinking is common, this long-term view is an ethical commitment in itself.
For international buyers, this blend of global standards and grounded local practice means that each piece of knitwear carries both technical credibility and a real, human story from Kathmandu.
“Luxury knitwear is only truly luxury when the people, the pace and the decisions behind it are treated with respect. Ethics is not a separate department — it is the way the factory thinks.”