Pashmina's resurgence: How heritage craft meets conscious luxury demand

From ceremonial gifting to informed ownership, pashmina shawls are being rediscovered as a conscious luxury choice rooted in heritage, sustainability and emotional value

In India’s luxury winter wardrobe, few objects carry as much emotional and financial weight as a pashmina shawl. Traditionally gifted at milestones, occasionally inherited, and increasingly aspirational, pashmina occupies a rare space where craft, fashion and long-term value intersect. It is at once deeply personal and quietly symbolic — a marker of warmth, status, memory and lineage.

 

Despite its iconic status, however, pashmina remains one of the most misunderstood luxury categories in the Indian market. Mass-produced blends are routinely passed off as authentic pashmina, while genuine, hand-spun and handwoven shawls — which can take months or even years to complete — command vastly different price points. The result is a wide gap between perception and reality, often leaving consumers unsure of what they are actually paying for.

 

As Indian buyers become more discerning and sustainability-conscious, however, this gap is beginning to close. A renewed interest in slow-made, provenance-led luxury is bringing the real thing back into conversations around informed spending — not as a seasonal indulgence, but as a considered, long-term purchase rooted in heritage, craftsmanship and traceability.

 

Fashion designer Jattinn Kochhar sees this shift as closely aligned with the values of a younger generation. “Pashmina has all the qualities the younger generation is drawn to — sustainability, eco-consciousness, slow fashion and slow luxury,” he says. “It has been part of our heritage for hundreds of years, and contributing to its continuity is both an honour and a responsibility.”

 

For Kochhar, the appeal of pashmina is also intensely personal. “I still use a pashmina that belonged to my grandfather. I wear it every night over my blanket. For me, it’s not just about warmth — it feels like his blessing. That kind of emotional value is something very few luxury products can carry.”

 

That emotional durability, combined with craftsmanship, traceability and longevity, is precisely what is repositioning pashmina today — from a ceremonial heirloom to a conscious luxury choice for buyers who want their spending to reflect values, not just status.

 

Why authenticity and purity define true pashmina value

 

As Indian consumers grow more discerning about luxury, authenticity and purity of craft are becoming non-negotiable. In categories like pashmina — where mass-market dilution has blurred the line between genuine handcraft and industrial imitation — value is increasingly defined by traceability, Geographical Indication (GI) certification, hand-spun processes and the preservation of traditional techniques.

 

At the same time, evolving climate patterns and shifting consumer preferences are reshaping both production realities and demand, nudging the market towards lighter, finer shawls suited to India’s milder winters and contemporary lifestyles.

 

For craft-led brands, the challenge lies in modernising without diluting heritage. “We are uncompromising about authenticity and purity in craft practices,” says Manish Saksena, business lead at Aadyam Handwoven. “Dilution is the fastest way to reduce the value of a craft. Our pashminas are GI-tagged, hand-spun and handwoven — the most traditional and restorative practice.”

 

Innovation, Saksena explains, comes through contemporary colour palettes and global motif inspiration rather than altering the grammar of the craft itself. “We consciously avoid abstraction, as it takes away from the inherent refinement of sozni embroidery,” he says.

 

Demand patterns, too, are shifting. In India, lighter and more versatile pashmina shawls are increasingly preferred over heavy ceremonial pieces, reflecting both milder winters and changing usage habits. “Pashmina becomes an evident choice for low to medium winters across most Indian cities,” Saksena notes. Overseas markets, meanwhile, continue to show appetite for both fine and bulkier versions. Across geographies, the buyer remains discerning — seeking heirloom-quality pieces rather than trend-driven fashion.

 

How climate change is affecting pashmina craft and continuity

 

Climate change, however, poses a growing challenge to the pashmina ecosystem. Fibre quality is intrinsically linked to the harsh climatic conditions of the Changthang plateau, where the finest pashmina originates. Warmer temperatures can alter fibre fineness, directly affecting quality.

 

At the same time, artisan attrition is becoming a serious concern. “Low wages and the physical toll of the work — including impact on eyesight — are deterrents,” Saksena says. Many artisans are reluctant to encourage the next generation to take up the craft unless a more sustainable economic model emerges.

 

This fragility makes authentic pashmina not just a luxury product, but a craft at a crossroads — one where conscious consumption plays a critical role in survival.

 

Adding to the complexity is the sheer time and labour behind authentic pashmina — a reality often lost in retail storytelling. According to Manisha Gawade, designer, director and co-founder of Ehsaas, even the simplest pashmina demands patience that modern fashion rarely accommodates.

 

“A plain, handwoven pashmina shawl typically takes around 250 hours of weaving alone, spread over several days of concentrated labour. But when one factors in the entire process — from collecting the ultra-fine fibre to spinning, weaving and finishing — production timelines can stretch from two months to over a year,” she points out. “Highly intricate embroidered pieces, particularly jamavar or dense sozni work, can take several years, and in rare cases up to a decade, to complete. The delicacy of the fibre makes handloom weaving non-negotiable. Power looms simply cannot handle genuine pashmina yarn.”

 

What qualifies as ‘real’ pashmina?

 

Technically, what qualifies as true pashmina is very narrowly defined. The fibre must come from the Changthangi goat (Capra hircus), found at altitudes exceeding 12,000 feet in Ladakh and parts of Tibet. Only the soft undercoat — not the coarse outer hair — is used, yielding a fibre measuring 12 to 16 microns in diameter, far finer than human hair.

 

The process is entirely manual. The wool is hand-combed during spring moulting, hand-spun on a traditional charkha, and woven on wooden looms. Slight irregularities in weave are common — and signal authenticity rather than flaw.

 

For buyers navigating a market crowded with blends and mislabelled products, Gawade points to the GI tag (GI No. 46) as the most reliable indicator. Certified GI-tagged pashmina guarantees 100 per cent hand-spun and handwoven production in Kashmir. Other markers include a matte, non-shiny texture, subtle pilling over time, and pricing that reflects months — not days — of labour.

 

“If a ‘pashmina’ is priced under Rs 8,000, it is almost certainly a blend or synthetic,” Gawade notes.

 

Embroidery further amplifies value. Techniques such as sozni, kani and tilla are employed by a shrinking pool of master artisans, increasing both rarity and cost. These are not decorative add-ons, but time-intensive crafts that can take months or years to complete.

 

Prices today can range from under Rs 20,000 to well over Rs 5 lakh, not just because of branding, but due to differences in fibre quality, weaving techniques, embroidery styles, and labour intensity. Unlike trend-driven fashion, authentic pashmina operates on a slow, supply-constrained model, shaped by climate conditions in Ladakh and artisanal capacity in Kashmir.

 

Why pashmina is shifting from indulgence to informed ownership

 

As Indian luxury consumption matures, pashmina’s quiet resurgence reflects a broader shift in mindset. Buyers are no longer chasing excess or logo-driven prestige.

 

In that sense, pashmina’s renewed relevance is not accidental. It sits at the intersection of sustainability, heritage and emotional resonance — offering warmth not just to the body, but to memory, identity and conscience. In a market flooded with fast fashion and fleeting trends, the pashmina shawl is reclaiming its place — not as an indulgence, but as a conscious luxury choice for informed spenders.