Image via WikipediaBrunello Cucinelli's cashmere collection goes well beyond the clothes made by his label. The fashion designer has a closet filled with cashmere blazers, sweaters and scarves, including pieces picked up from his travels to the Kashmir region of south Asia.Mr. Cucinelli takes good care of his cashmere collection, believing the pieces can be handed down for generations. He has pieces that are more than 30 years old. "A cashmere knit is like a book," he says. "It is something to save and go back to time after time. It is the feeling of an embrace." Indeed, when cashmere is well cared for and stored, Mr. Cucinelli says, "its look can improve and the feel can become even softer." After each washing, the cashmere fibers get wider and more open.
But the designer, who is based in Solomeo, Italy, doesn't send his cashmere sweaters to the dry cleaner unless there's a tough stain that requires a specialist. While he sends coats and pants to the dry cleaner, he favors washing the rest at home by hand. Never wash cashmere in a machine, he adds. It "accelerates the aging of the fiber."
When cleaning cashmere at home, Mr. Cucinelli generally fills a container with warm water for pieces that are one solid color. For pieces that are printed or have more than one color, he uses very cold water.
Enlarge Image
Jacopo Quaranta for The Wall Street Journal
A mannequin in one of the label's sweaters for women at Brunello Cucinelli's Solomeo, Italy, office.
Then, he takes a tablespoon of gentle hand soap or a soap that's specifically created for knitwear and dilutes it in five liters of water. (If you're using a fabric softener, he says, try a natural one such as white vinegar, as chemicals could alter the texture of the garment.)
Mr. Cucinelli soaks the garment in water for two to three hours "without moving it," a step that allows the fibers to open. Then he gently squeezes the water out without twisting the cashmere, which he notes would stretch the fiber too much. He repeats this step until all soap and water are gone.
The designer always lays the piece flat on a soft towel to dry. If he chooses to iron the piece at the end, he places a soft cloth on the piece so the iron is not in direct contact with the cashmere. Also, he uses the iron's steam setting to avoid harsh direct heat.
When stored, cashmere needs air, Mr. Cucinelli notes, "so it can 'breathe' because it is a natural fiber." The designer prefers to store pieces in a colorless cardboard box with cedar disks inside. A lightweight fabric bag also works, but a box gives material more room to breathe, and the cedar disks deter moths while adding a subtle scent.
If a spill happens while Mr. Cucinelli is out, he is careful "not to intervene right away, as you may worsen the situation by rubbing the stain too much." Instead, he waits until he can hand-wash the garment or, if the stain is bad, he takes it to a cleaner that specializes in treating cashmere.
