Considered every thread of the way

SUSTAINABILITY STARTS WITH MATERIALS

INNOVATION

History of Commonly Known Materials

Natural

Fibers

Man-made

Fibers

An early DuPont fiber innovation

occurred in 1910 with the

development of plastic-coated

fibers. Since that time, DuPont

has been responsible for nearly

75 percent of the 40-plus major

polymers commercially produced,

all of which trace their origin to the

development of condensation

polymerization.1925

19531950

1965

Sustainability starts with materials innovation

(New)

Materials input

Production

Product used

by consumer

Post-Consumer

Waste

Waste

Collection

Waste

Processing

Natural Fiber Synthetic Fiber

1940s 90% 10%

1980s 70% 30%

Post WWII synthetic fibers quickly became the dominant fiber. Lately, natural fiber making a come back.

SHOKAY

About the yak

100gYaks have two types of hair: coarse

hair that is used to make tents and fine

down hair used to make clothing. Each

yak every year only can provide 100g

of its fine downy fiber.

80% 80% of the world’s yak

population is in Western China

14,000,000There are 14 million yaks in the world. For

every 5 cashmere goats there is only 1 yak.

3500mYaks generally live on the Tibetan

plateau at altitudes over 3500m

11 years ago, a diamond in the rough

From combing to segmentation

We developed an ecosystem of partners from raw material to finished products to innovate across the supply chain

Sourcing

• Trained Tibetan

herders to sort raw

yak fiber by quality

and color

Dehairing

• Clearly segments

different qualities of

yak fiber to be used

for different

purposes

downstream

Dying

•Has developed over

100+ colors

Spinning

•Has developed a

variety of different

blends and yarn

counts

Knitting/weaving

•Works with factories

on finishing

techniques to

maximize hand feel

but minimize pilling

Shokay also has ongoing projects with many academic and government institutions to further advance the industry

Academic Institutions

Industry Associations

Government bodies

Yak down is a luxury fiber that is relatively unknown to the

fashion world.

Each yak produces about 100g of fine downy fiber. The average

fineness of down from an adult yak is 18-20 microns, while the

length is around 30-40 mm. The most common natural color of

the yak is a dark chocolate brown, but can also be found in white,

tan, and gray. Unlike wool, the scales of yak fiber are in a waved

mosaic pattern, resulting in a very smooth fiber that does not itch.

Warm

Breathable

Non-itchy

Non-allergenic

Biodegradable

Oil free

Waterproof

Unique Properties of Yak Down

Yak is 30% warmer than wool and

1.6X more breathable than

cashmere

Yak fiber properties

Test Yak Cashmere Merino Wool

Fineness++ +++ +

Fiber length+ ++ +++

Fiber Strength+++ ++ +

Warmth+++ ++ +

Air permeability+++ + ++

Smoothness++ +++ +

Price++ + +++

Is yak the new cashmere?

…yak has the advantage of unconventionality.

“Cashmere is mainstream,” said Mr. Berga. “Now

you have cashmere from Uniqlo and Zara.” Mass-

market ubiquity has diluted some of its charm and

even its quality. With yak, fewer suppliers make

purity easier to guarantee. Which is why high-end

brands like Incotex, Massimo Alba and

Ermenegildo Zegna have turned to it as an

alternative to cashmere. “There are very few

brands producing yak, so now is the right moment

to buy it,” said Mr. Alba. “You have the chance to

do something before anyone else.”

– Wall Street Journal (11/26/2016)

Classifications

Shokay stocks dehaired fibers in different

classifications to enable spinning mills to

choose the optimal price/quality ratio based

on their needs

Available colors

Natural color (chocolate brown)

Heathered (khaiki)

Processed white fiber (cream).

Specification

Fineness: 18-19 micron

Length: 28-30mm

Shokay Fibers & Tops

Shokay Yarns include both machine spun and hand spun

yarns that are spun with

100% yak

yak/wool blends

yak/pima cotton blends

yak/bamboo blends

With yarn counts that vary from 18s to 60s, the yarns can

be used for machine knitting, machine weaving, and

hand knitting. Many brands around the world have

started using Shokay Yarns in their designs.

Shokay Yarns

Fabrics made from yak have an extremely soft surface

suitable for the next-to-skin touch, has anti-wrinkle

properties, and a beautiful body due to the resilience of

the fiber.

We have collaborated with Mitsuboshi, a Japanese

fabric company, to develop a special line of fabrics of

the highest quality. Our current fabrics are most

suitable for outwear and include the following blends

100% yak

50% yak/ 50% wool double faced fabric

Shokay Fabrics

Knitwear

Women

Men

Accessories

Hats

Gloves

Scarves

Shawls

Home & Lifestyle

Throws

Pillows

Hand knit toys

Shokay Finished Products

At Rest Shawl

AC-SH-DRPrayer Flag at Full

Flutter Shawl

AC-SH-DF

Ready for Release Shawl

AC-SH-DY

Stacked Shawl

AC-SH-DS

Woolen Gang Shawl

AC-SH-DW

Artist in Residence Collection

Watercolor Block Shawl

AC-SH-WB

Watercolor Brush Shawl

AC-SH-WR

Mist and Ripples Shawl

AC-SH-MR

All Artist in Residence

Shawls are digitally printed

on 100% Yak. Custom

printing option available

Making a difference

Shokay considers our success not only in terms of profit,

but also by how we are impacting the communities we

work with in rural China.

Empowering young TibetansShokay now trains young Tibetans to set up local businesses

and cooperatives to assist Shokay with on the ground training

and sourcing.

1000+ familiesThousands of families are now involved in our supply chain.

Restoring identity & dignityThrough our Artist in Residence Program and Qinghai

Expeditions, we create a cultural dialogue between artists,

local communities, and our customers. The process invites

local herders embrace their culture and identity with greater

dignity and pride.

We continuously reinvest into the local communities

800 herdersOver 800 herders in Qinghai have benefitted

from Shokay’s health care programs, which

has included health care training, free clinic,

and giving out free eye glasses.

20% income increaseIn 2010, Shokay started a handspun yarn

cooperative in Qinghai. Women trained through

the program can increase their income by over

20%.

Our Approach

Drive end-consumer demand

We partner with brands and designers interested in using sustainable materials to develop new products

and launch creative marketing strategies to drive end-consumer demand

Develop new products along the supply chain

We develop new products along the supply chain, from yarns, fabrics, to fillings, to broaden end-use

applications

Identify unique sustainable materials

We look specifically at underutilized natural materials, renewable resources, and consumer waste to identify

sustainable materials that we can take to market

The Problem: sea waste + land waste

Oyster Shell

Over 4 million tons of oyster shell waste is

produced every year, with 3.4 tons being in China.

Oyster shells become solid waste that often piles

up in coastal cities, taking up precious space and

resulting in foul smells.

PET Bottles

10% of all US oil consumed is used to make

plastics, which if not recycled, end up in the landfill

or in the sea. Many countries now recycle between

30-50% of PET bottles, which can be melted and

reused for other purposes. 1 pound of polyester

fiber can reuse 10 plastic bottles.

•Bottles are recycled,

collected, and chopped

into chips

Recycled

bottles

•Chips are melted to

make into uniform

pellets, which then are

re-melted to spin yarn

Chips &

Pellets

•Yarn is knitted or woven

into fabricYarn

Fabric

How It’s Made

•Oyster shells are

recycled, collected,

and pulverized into

powder.

Recycled

oyster shells

•The oyster

powder coats

the pellets to

create a

composite yarn.

Oyster shell

powder

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Thank you & 扎西德勒！