The Stevensons have been working with natural fibres for well over a century. It started with Herbert Stevenson who ran his own woollen mill producing fine Scottish Tweeds on the outskirts of Edinburgh.
By the time Drummond joined the team, their family brand of Macnab Tweeds was sold throughout the US, Europe and Asia. Peter then added cashmere to the mix.
In the past, Scottish cashmere was the finest in the world. However, as labour costs rose in the UK, it started to become too expensive to produce and unable to compete with the meteoric rise of China.
Fast forward 100 years, and most of the world’s top-grade cashmere now comes from the blustery plains of Inner Mongolia where the bitter winter cold helps the goats to grow a fine inner coat to keep them warm: temperatures drop as low as minus 40 degrees celsius in the depths of December.
And, it is this fine inner coat which is used to make the most delicious cashmere jumpers. However, did you know that one goat only produces enough yarn to make one baby-sized sweater a year? And, that’s why a good quality cashmere pullover can be rather pricey.
Peter first went up to Inner Mongolia over 40 years ago, and Macnab Drummond has been working with the same cashmere partners up there ever since. What started out as a small factory selling its cashmere on a wheel barrow has now evolved into a multi-billion dollar conglomerate which now makes up to 5 million pieces of cashmere a year.
Its state-of-the-art cashmere factory employs the latest Italian spinning techniques, offering a fine Italian finish on par with Loro Piana.
And, it makes the world’s finest cashmere products without hurting the goats, nor damaging the environment. In fact, it is the world’s first green factory in the textile sector. And, it is first company in China to be awarded The Good Cashmere Standard (GCS) in China by the Aid by Trade Foundation (AbTF).
A pioneer in the protection of the the Inner Mongolian grasslands, it has a long history of looking after both the goats and their farmers, setting the stage for its partnership with the AbTF.
Today, it is a major supplier of GCS products. And, all the cashmere that it sources, whether it is of Good Cashmere Standard or not, comes from farms which are both sustainable and ethical.
After all, there is no Planet B and surely our children and the earth which they will inherit deserve only the best!
And, speaking of children, we also have our very own cashmere label for kids: Mika & Milo. Named after Peter Stevenson’s two grandchildren, Mika & Milo is a multi-award-winning cashmere offering for kids aged 0-3M up to 8 years old.
MEET THE TEAM
Peter Stevenson
Founder & CEO
Peter is the founder and head of Macnab Drummond. The son of Drummond and grandson of Herbert Stevenson, he studied at Edinburgh University before honing his textile skills at Galashiels technical college in Scotland. He joined the family business straight out of school and later went on to work for trading giant Dodwell in Japan before striking out on his own with Macnab Drummond over 40 years ago.
Coan Ho
Chief Technical Officer
Coan is our in-house technical wizard. With over 30 years experience in the apparel industry, she is highly adept at price negotiation, and her fine mind for detail is able to ensure that every measurement and knitting detail is executed correctly ahead of both sampling and bulk production. She has worked with factories directly for over two decades and most recently worked in the buying office for Debenhams.
Mike Chan
Head Of Operations
Mike has been working with Macnab Drummond in the cashmere trade for over 30 years. Helping to build the French label Eric Bompard from the ground up since its inception over three decades ago, she is the cashmere expert and heads up all operations at Macnab Drummond. A native mandarin speaker, she has an excellent connection with our cashmere partners up in Inner Mongolia.
Jazz Ho
Head Of Technology & Procurement
Working with Macnab Drummond for over 25 years, Jazz spearheads the group’s technology department. She also has a fine mind for detail and is able catch the smallest of errors when it comes to either sampling or bulk production. She also heads up procurement and is able to source all our necessary trims for bulk production from neck labels to swing tags to buttons.
Jophie Lee
Head of Accounts
Jophie has been working with Macnab Drummond for over 20 years. A wizard with numbers, she helps to keep all accounts and invoices in tip top shape. She also helps the team keep on top of all bulk production orders.
Aiko Stevenson
Director & Founder, Mika & Milo
Aiko is the daughter of Peter and founder of the multi-award winning kids cashmere label: Mika & Milo. After getting a Masters from Edinburgh University, she originally trained as a broadcast journalist with the BBC, CNN, CNBC & Time Magazine before joining the family business a decade go and setting up their kids offering.
