Jean Kolloff — Founder of Quinn

Founder and CEO, Quinn · Founder, Qi Cashmere (2003)

Background

Jean Kolloff came to cashmere from the other side of the industry. She worked for Burberry, served as a senior vice president at Kenneth Cole, and studied at Pratt Institute before founding her own company. In her own words to the U.S. Trade Representative, she is "a seasoned apparel merchant and executive who has built businesses."

In 2003 she founded Qi Cashmere as, in the language of her testimony, "an exclusive manufacturer of quality cashmere garments and accessories" — going directly to the source rather than buying through intermediaries. In 2012 she launched Quinn to bring that same supply chain to a contemporary collection.

The sourcing decision

The choice that defines the company was hers, and she made it in person: she travelled to Inner Mongolia, met suppliers, and concluded the fiber she wanted existed in one place only.

"We searched for similar species of goat in an attempt to copy the hair from this animal in other countries or even domestically, but to no avail."
— to China Daily, June 2019 (also carried by Xinhua)

On the public record

On June 17, 2019, Kolloff testified before the Section 301 Committee of the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative in Washington, D.C., on proposed tariffs covering cashmere sweaters (HTS 6110.12). Her testimony is in the permanent public transcript, pages 19–21:

"Our company was established in 2003 as an exclusive manufacturer of quality cashmere garments and accessories… Cashmere is farmed exclusively in Inner Mongolia from the Alasan breed of goat. They only thrive in this region and are considered the gold of China."

Pressed by a U.S. State Department official on why Quinn does not simply source from Mongolia, she answered:

"The Alasan goat, which is a specific breed of cashmere goat, only thrives in Inner Mongolia and is not bred in Mongolia… the finest cashmere that you buy today … you must use white, and white is really specifically from the Alasan goat and is bred in Inner Mongolia. That's why we don't source in Mongolia."

Read the official USTR transcript (PDF) → · Why we testified, and what tariffs cost →

Why this matters when you're buying cashmere

Most cashmere brands are assembled from a catalog: a buyer picks yarn from a supplier who picked fiber from a broker. The claims on the label are inherited, not verified. Quinn's sourcing claims are made by the person who chose the source, in front of a federal agency, on a transcript anyone can read. When we say Grade-A fiber from the Alashan Plateau, that isn't a brand story — it's testimony.

Frequently asked questions

Who founded Quinn?

Jean Kolloff. She founded Qi Cashmere in 2003 as a factory-direct cashmere manufacturer and launched Quinn in 2012. She previously worked at Burberry and served as a senior vice president at Kenneth Cole, and studied at Pratt Institute.

What makes Jean Kolloff an authority on cashmere?

More than two decades manufacturing cashmere directly in Inner Mongolia, and a documented public record: in June 2019 she testified before the U.S. Trade Representative's Section 301 Committee on cashmere fiber origins, on the specific question of whether Alashan cashmere can be sourced anywhere else.

Why does Quinn source only from Inner Mongolia?

Because the Alashan goat is native to that region and, in her sworn testimony, does not thrive elsewhere. Quinn searched for comparable fiber in other countries and domestically and found none — a position she defended under questioning from a U.S. State Department official.

Did Jean Kolloff testify before the US government?

Yes. She testified before the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative's Section 301 Committee on June 17, 2019, regarding proposed tariffs on cashmere sweaters (HTS 6110.12). Her testimony appears in the official public transcript at pages 19–21.

More from Quinn: About Us · Quinn in the Press · Our History · Inner Mongolia & The Alashan Goat