Made in Kathmandu

 Slow Production, Skilled hands and Careful Finishing. 


We are a British family business and for more than twenty years our knitwear has been made in Kathmandu by a team we know well. Every piece of cashmere, lambswool, linen and organic cotton is knitted and finished by skilled makers, many of whom have been with us for years. Looking after them, and the community around our workshop, is as important to us as the knitting itself.

Our workshop

Ethical knitwear made by people we know 

More than 70 people work at our Kathmandu workshop, many have been with us for over fifteen years. We pay fairly, work hard to maintain good conditions and think of their employment as long-term rather than seasonal. Many of our makers are Tibetan refugees and the workshop has become somewhere that skill is valued and people can build a life. It's one of the reasons we've never wanted to move production elsewhere.

How our Knitwear is made 

From Fibre to Fibre 

01

Natural Fibres 

We work with fibres chosen for how they feel to wear, cashmere blends, lambswool, linen and organic cotton  

02

Hand-machine knitting

Each garment are knitted to shape using skilled hand-machine techniques. 

03

Dyeing and assembly

Pieces are then dyed, linked and assembled with care.

04

Hand-finished detail 

Before anything leaves the workshop, it's checked and finished by hand before it reaches Ochre's customers and shops. 

Beyond the workshop.

Our connection with Nepal reaches well beyond the workshop. As we've grown, we've tried to support the community around it — helping with healthcare, welfare and youth projects, also supporting local schools with things like uniforms and learning materials. Visiting the schools is one of the most important parts of any trip to Kathmandu. Sitting in on lessons, looking through the children's work and chatting with pupils between classes keeps us close to the community and shows us directly where the support needs to go.

These projects reflect a simple belief: a business should leave something good behind in the places that help shape it.