Second Cashmere is an online haven for repurposed premium fashion, founded in 2020 by Lotti Blades-Barrett. An Ethics In Fashion graduate, Blades-Barrett has devoted the last five years to mending, repurposing and rejuvenating discarded cashmere garments alongside her creative partner, Emily Smit-Dicks.

From her studio space in Glasgow, Blades-Barrett reveals that the decision to launch the brand was inspired by the eye-opening lessons she received about the reality of cashmere production while studying for her master’s degree. ‘Cashmere should be a luxury item because the amount of resources that go into producing cashmere is wild,’ she explains, contextualising the reason why your mum’s favourite cardigan cost £100. ‘The issue with the overconsumption side of things is that, while cashmere used to be very much found in luxury markets, you can now get it in Tesco or Asda. While that doesn’t necessarily always mean the quality of the cashmere is lower, it means that there’s more pressure put on a supply chain that’s already quite pressurised, because people are trying to drive down the price.’

While cashmere is typically expensive, Second Cashmere sources its materials from local textile recyclers, allowing the business to charge affordable prices. It also encourages Smit-Dicks, the brand’s creative lead, to be imaginative when it comes to reconditioning whatever second-hand treasure comes her way. ‘If we were creating mittens, we would use the sleeve of the jumper because we would make use of the rib; or we would use maybe the body of a jumper with the rib at the bottom to make a hood or a balaclava,’ adds Blades-Barrett. ‘It’s about using different aspects of what’s already there to turn into something new.’
Beyond fixing things themselves, Second Cashmere also runs mending workshops, with the aim of teaching consumers important revitalisation skills. ‘It’s all about empowering people to repair their cashmere for themselves. I think it can be a little bit overwhelming if you don’t know how to do it. But the reality is that learning how to darn your knitwear at home is not like some magic trick. You just need to know how to start.’

Second Cashmere, 4 Rogart Street, Glasgow (by appointment only).