Gerdene Mongolian Cashmere Opens First North American Location in Kitsilano

A cozy, luxurious new clothing store has found its first North American home on the corner of West 4th and Maple Street in Kitsilano. Gerdene cashmere officially opened on October 5, with racks of sweaters, cardigans, scarves, hats, pants and more for everyone—including kids—made from authentic, pure Mongolian cashmere.

“We are the first official Mongolian cashmere brand in Canada,” says Ariunbold Amgalan (Sasha), who’s leading this Canadian expansion by the Mongolian-based brand, Gobi Erdene Cashmere. “We are excited to open our store in Vancouver,” he says.

At the grand opening of his store, he’s wearing traditional Mongolian attire in deep blue, greeting guests and curious shoppers browsing the carefully crafted clothing with a smile. To the touch, all the items feel soft and cozy—lightweight, but warm and durable—and are sold in a range of colours and sizes. That soft feeling matches wandering around in the light and bright newly renovated shop, thanks to the large windows that line the corner storefront. Having done a lot of preparation before the big day, Amgalan is happy to finally share his culture’s traditions with Canadians.

“Mongolians are one of the few nations in the world that have a nomadic lifestyle,” he says. “We really care for the animals and how they live, and we leave the animals in the wild. We don’t do any farming,” says Amgalan. “When we take off the cashmere from the goat, we comb them really carefully.” They comb the goat’s cashmere fur when it naturally begins to lift in the spring after growing out during the cold winter. The materials for Gerdene’s clothing also come from natural products. “These colours are organic colours,” he adds, holding up a cream-coloured sweater. “There is no artificial dyeing, nothing. It’s all natural.” They are certified as sustainable by the Mongolian Wool and Cashmere Association.

With the brand having 15 years of experience in fashion, Amgalan hopes Gerdene will be the go-to store in Vancouver selling real (“really real,” he emphasizes) cashmere for Canadians to keep warm during the cold winters. For him, the store opening represents a new relationship between Canadians and Mongolians, building a bridge between the two countries for trade and imports. “I’m really happy for the company and the Mongolians, bringing this here is supporting the nomadic culture, nomadic life and nomadic people,” he says.

Amgalan invites everyone to go and feel the high-quality, soft cashmere. “Mongolians, we never lock the door; it’s open for everybody,” he says. “By visiting our store, you will be experiencing our heritage and tradition.”

To learn more about Gerdene and shop its online store, visit gerdene.ca.

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