Our Second Jacket

This evening I went to Lizzie Radcliffe, our talented tailor for a fitting of the second jacket in our collection. The pattern is similar to our first jacket, but the new jacket has patch pockets, it also has three, rather than two buttons and the collar is backed with kaki moleskin. Me and Lizzie were trying to decide how much fusing to put into the jacket and how high the buttons should go. We came to some sort of a conclusion, so the new jacket should be ready on December the 6th... look out for a post soon after then.

The Wool

Our wool is unique to the Hindu Kush. Shu, as the wool is known locally has been developed over generations to insulate against freezing temperatures and biting winds. It is thick and spongy, providing the wearer with maximum insulation whilst remaining light and flexible. Shu also has a felted finish which lends it a factor of wind proofing that comparable wools can’t match.

Shu is produced household by household using techniques which have not changed in centuries. No part of the shu manufacture process is mechanized, this means that shu is a handmade fabric in the truest sense of the term. The density of weave and thickness of felting vary subtly from household to household, leaving us with a product that bears the signatures of the artisans who made it.

Shubinak, our partner in Pakistan is partially owned by the artisans who make shu, ensuring that profit from the sale of their crafts finds its way back into the community.

Shu is made in settlements at the foot of Tirich Mir (7,700 m), the highest mountain in the Hindu Kush.  The production of the fabric is intimately linked to the mountains. Shepherds gather by hand the choicest fodder for their flocks from high altitude pastures, which are only revealed at the melting of the winter snow. Spring melt waters feed the streams in which shu is washed and felting happens in naturally occurring hot springs overlooked by Tirich Mir. For images of the production of shu please see www.shubinak.com.

Shu is made in nine laborious stages: first the sheep is washed and then sheared by hand. The wool is then treated with a locally occurring fine white soil to remove moisture and grease. Next a bow is vibrated over the wool to separate the fibers ready for teasing and then spinning. The spun yarn is then woven into fabric which is felted, stretched and hung out in the sun to dry.

In Chitral shu is generally woven into three items of clothing, the pakol, the patu and the shu-coat, all sported by the man above. The pakol is the distinctive cap worn by the peoples of the Hindu Kush, the patu is a blanket which is worn like a shawl in winter and the shu-coat is a long button-less, loose-cut overcoat.

Images to be reproduced only with the permission on Hindu Kush ltd.

The Development of a Lining

The linings of Hindu Kush jackets tell you something about where our remarkable wool comes from. The lining below has developed around the idea of two of the most mysterious animals of the Hindu Kush mountains, the snow leopard and its prey the markhor (an endangered species of ibex). Both creatures are extremely rare, the snow leopard is internationally famous, but fewer people know of the markhor. However, to the Kalasha people of the Hindu Kush, markhor are sacred. For the Kalasha, markhor are the purest of creatures since they are herded by the spirits of the mountain tops high above the polluted world of men and women. 

                             

     The famous snow leopard / ibex chase from the BBC's Planet Earth series, shot in the Hindu Kush.

Images to be reproduced only with the permission of Hindu Kush ltd.

The First in the Collection

The prototype for Hindu Kush's first collection takes the elegant cut of a traditional Englishman's suit jacket and sets it against our star material: the famous shu wool of the Hindu Kush mountains. Shu is prized for its insulating properties, it's thick, but also lightweight and it's hard wearing as well as being soft to touch. As a nod to the traditional garments of the Hindu Kush we have done away with Western lapels and given our jacket a clean shawl collar designed to be worn up. A small horn button is at the ready to fasten the collar tight, cutting out any drafts and making our jacket a serious option for biting winter days. The collar is trimmed with needle chord so contact between the wearer's neck and the garment is comfortable. The coat is finished with a breast pocket, jetted pockets, two horn buttons and a sweeping hem ending in a single vent tail.

Image to be reproduced only with the permission of Hindu Kush ltd.