mYak: Sustainable Tibetan Fibers Spun in Italy

The Tibetan Plateau, illustriously nicknamed the ‘Rooftop of the World’, offers beauty in turquoise lakes, massive glaciers, snow capped mountains and vibrant green grasslands. It is within this diverse geography that Paola Vanzo and Andrea Dominici  founded the textile firm mYak, from their passion and love for the Tibetan culture. For over 20 years Vanzo and Dominici  have lived and worked on the Tibetan Plateau to build a socially sustainable business. Local farmers and their families are an integral part of the mYak venture and not merely providers of resource.   mYak’s luxurious fabrics are spun from the finest hairs of baby yaks and cashmere goats native to the high pastures of the Tibetan Plateau. These fibers serve as the base to fabrics that offer more warmth than lamb’s wool and a soft, fine touch to rival cashmere. Along with providing the best in fiber, mYak ensures that those at the production level of the supply chain attain the greatest possible benefit, according to mYak co-founder, Paola Vanzo.  “We pay the highest price for the finest fiber on the market. And we buy directly from cooperatives of more than a thousand families of whom we helped create,” says Vanzo, when discussing mYak’s sourcing regime. “Each family hand-combs the undercoat of the baby yaks they raise. The fiber is than carefully hand-sorted and de-haired locally before being spun and woven in Italy – with the utmost care for the environment – to produce the highest quality textiles.” The delicate selection process is a native technique that gives the fiber a unique softness in comparison to other yak fibers present in the marketplace. This “hand”, as Vanzo describes, is amplified by using the ancient tradition of carded spinning to preserve the original sensation felt when touching baby yak down. To protect animal wellbeing and environmental conservation, Dominici  – one of the co-founders who is also an extremely experience veterinarian – frequently travels to source the fibers himself. mYak’s baby yak and Tibetan cashmere has been gathered with no harm to the animal. “Baby yaks shed naturally every year and we have taught the nomads how to gently combs the undercoat of each animal. The herds roam freely on the summer pasture of the Tibetan Plateau, gazing on pristine grassland,” explains Vanzo. Manufacturing takes place in Biella, Italy where a hand-selected network of local artisans exquisitely craft mYak products. “We care about where and how our clothes are made. We put a strong emphasis on quality and therefore we strictly monitor our short production chain, not just for quality but also for its environmental impact to stay true to our eco conscious values,” adds Vanzo.  The yak textile maker offers a completely traceable and Unioncamere certified supply chain by TFashion. mYak also reduces its waste impact, recognizing the usefulness of manufacturing byproducts in adding social and economic value back into the community. “The unused – second quality – fiber is given back to the Tibetan community and it is often used to produce prayer mattresses for local monasteries,” explains Vanzo. “mYak not only offers excellent quality products, but adds value to local resources and traditions. Our baby yak fiber, purchased directly from pastoral communities, offers a unique experience of softness, warmth and comfort, while supporting a just cause: the survival of the nomadic way of life.”