The New Marker Of Luxury Is Feel-Good Storytelling

How does a cashmere brand stand out in the age of $80 cashmere sweaters? Quality itself isn’t enough these days. The cashmere from the young label Naadam may be nicer than what you’ll find for lower prices at Uniqlo or J.Crew, but identifying good cashmere is hard, unless you really know what to look for. And the brand’s crewnecks aren’t so distinctive that their design makes them stand out from the crowd. What really makes the company’s cashmere stand apart is its story. It’s a crazy tale—we’ll get to it shortly—and usually one of the first things you’ll read about the brand. Just as important, it connects Naadam’s customers to the people who make the products they’re buying. That connection increasingly matters to shoppers. Our clothes and other personal goods might seem as if they spontaneously materialize on store racks, but customers are becoming increasingly and uncomfortably aware that the items we purchase are the end result of an obscure, sprawling global supply chain. Some brands have started to differentiate themselves by touting their supply chain “transparency,” even if it doesn’t always ensure their products are sustainably made by workers who are paid and treated fairly. Read more at Quartz.