After a 16-hour journey in a Land Cruiser from Mongolia’s capital, Ulaanbaatar, we arrived at the Gobi Desert. As the Mongolian name suggests—‘the desert where grass sparsely grows’—it provides abundant fodder for camels, and it is a region that experiences extreme temperature variations, plummeting to sub-zero temperatures in the winter and soaring above 40 degrees in the summer. Due to the unsuitability of the land for crop cultivation, nomadic herders have become dependent on camel meat and milk for sustenance, while earning a livelihood by selling camel wool.

Camel hair has evolved to protect their bodies from extreme temperature fluctuations, and its insulation and moisture-wicking properties can even rival cashmere at times. Auralee uses baby camel wool, collected from camels only once, from their birth up to their first six months of life. This rare raw wool boasts finer fibres and softer textures compared to adult camel wool, resulting in a lightweight yet exceptionally warm fabric.

Iwai, the designer of Auralee, comments on baby camel wool: ‘It’s not just about practicality; the long, soft wool also possesses sheen and resilience. It exudes a seductive allure that other animal wools cannot replicate. Meeting and conversing with the producers here in Mongolia helps me to truly appreciate its uniqueness and use this understanding to create something even better. It’s about establishing trust with them and asking for their continued sharing of this limited raw wool with us in the future.’

Former village chief Erdene-beleg, who settled in a small village with a population of around 100 people near the Gobi Desert, collaborates with nomadic herders to raise camels. He is the most knowledgeable man about camels in the region and welcomed us with cheese, fermented mare milk, and a traditional local greeting involving sniffing tobacco while sharing his stories with us.

‘Have you ever ridden a camel in the winter before? The hump is so warm; it feels like you are sitting next to a stove.’

‘For us, richness is for our family and ourselves to be healthy. Camels are extremely gentle and timid animals. If we treat them with kindness, they will bestow many gifts upon us, such as nutritious milk, meat, and warm, sturdy wool. By approaching camels with love and receiving their many blessings, we are able to lead an abundant life every day.’

During the journey, we repeatedly encountered scenes where the locals we met would all sit in the pastures, engaging in conversation, eye to eye. They could be likened to pairs of supervisors and subordinates in a company, or agents and clients; essentially functioning as business partners. However, despite this, their relaxed and engrossed conversations resembled family interactions. There was no distinction between the roles of producers and consumers, but only an equal connection between people. It was a symbolic sight that reflects the type of community that Auralee is striving to create.

To approach the camels with love and pass on the baton of their precious fibres through intimate human connections. We are being ‘given’ the raw wool of baby camels. At the end of our conversation, Erdene spoke once again about their relationship with the camels and the sentiments they have inherited through generations.