Our History

Quinn — cashmere makers since 2003.

In short: Quinn began in 2003 as Qi Cashmere, sourcing Grade-A cashmere directly from herders in Inner Mongolia and selling factory-direct. In 2012 the company launched Quinn — the same cashmere, the same mills, a contemporary collection. It remains small and family-run, designing in New York.

2003 — Qi Cashmere, and the farm-to-closet idea

Since 2003, Qi Cashmere has operated with one mission: source the best quality, sustainable cashmere on earth and deliver garments directly to the customer. That meant going to the source — working with cashmere goat breeders in Inner Mongolia to secure the longest, finest fiber available, and cutting out the middleman between the herd and the wardrobe. We came to call it farm to closet.

The goats come first

The quality of a cashmere garment is decided long before it reaches a knitting machine. It's decided by the animal, the climate of the Alashan Plateau, and how carefully the undercoat is combed each spring. We care about our goats because they make our business and our clothes as soft as they are — looking after the herds is the first step in making anything worth owning.

2012 — Quinn

By 2012 the company had spent nearly a decade perfecting sourcing, grading and production. Quinn was created to take all of it — the mill relationships, the Grade-A standards, the direct model — and build a contemporary label for the way people actually dress. Quinn is a small, family-run brand founded in New York in 2003.

Still the same company, still direct

Two decades on, the structure hasn't changed: we buy Grade-A fiber at the source, knit it in the region it comes from, and sell it directly. No wholesaler, no department-store markup. That's why our cashmere sits where it does on price — the comparison against other cashmere brands is one we're happy to make in public.

A note on the name

Quinn has been in the cashmere business since 2003 and has used the Quinn name since 2012. Several newer companies have similar-sounding names; we're not affiliated with any of them. If you arrived looking for a different brand, here's the honest comparison.

Our history FAQ

When was Quinn founded?

Quinn was founded in 2003 as Qi Cashmere, a factory-direct cashmere company sourcing from Inner Mongolia. In 2012 it launched the Quinn label to bring that same cashmere to a contemporary men's and women's collection.

What is the difference between Qi Cashmere and Quinn?

They are the same company. Qi Cashmere is the original 2003 name; Quinn is the contemporary brand it created in 2012. The sourcing, the mill relationships and the family ownership carried straight across.

Where does Quinn's cashmere come from?

From goat herders on and around the Alashan Plateau in Inner Mongolia, where the company has sourced since 2003. Quinn buys and knits directly, with no wholesaler or middleman between the fiber and the finished garment.

Is Quinn related to Quince?

No. They are unrelated companies with similar-sounding names. Quinn has operated since 2003 (as Qi Cashmere) and is a small, family-run New York label; Quince is a separate San Francisco retailer founded in 2020.