The story behind Undarmaa

My name is Undarmaa. I come from an old nomadic family in Mongolia, and since I was a child, I have been close to the nomadic life. I grew up with the stories, traditions, and everyday life among the nomadic tents and grazing animals on the plains.

Nomadic life has been a natural part of my upbringing and has given me an understanding of what it means to live simply and in close connection with nature.

I helped my parents when they decided to return to a nomadic lifestyle after retiring. I have experienced what it means to work hard, live simply, and be self-sufficient on limited means. And I have seen how my country—in the wake of the fall of communism—moved forward on the path to democracy by, among other things, investing in one of its natural raw materials and specialties: cashmere.

Cashmere builds bridges between cultures

In many ways, you could say that my country, my family, and my upbringing have shaped me as much as they have shaped my online store, undarmaa.com. For me, it's not just about delivering a quality product from the wild and desolate steppes of Mongolia. It's not just about sweaters, scarves, beautiful blankets, and warm socks. It's about ensuring quality and curbing the deterioration of cashmere, which is all too often mixed with wool of inferior quality.

No. For me, cashmere has been a way to connect Denmark and Mongolia. It is through cashmere that I have been able to introduce Danes to an exciting and important culture that not only tells us something about peace, perspective, and stress-free surroundings, but also about well-produced, soft, high-quality wool that has been refined and improved on the Mongolian steppes over hundreds of years.

When I tell the nomads today how much the Danes value the products they supply the materials for, it helps to restore their self-confidence – and that is important. After all, that is what they need to build their future on.

Pact with nature

My parents chose to return to their roots. They decided to sell their apartment and leave the big city in favor of a simpler life. The life they themselves had lived as children, the nomadic life still lived by thousands of families in Mongolia, which ensures the country's constant and renowned production of cashmere. They dusted off the Ger (the traditional Mongolian felt tent they had received as a wedding gift) and moved back out onto the steppe.
I chose to follow them. To help them get started with nomadic life, to live with them and breathe in the warm scents of grass and flowers in summer and the icy winds of winter.

I saw how their herd of goats grew from a few hundred to over a thousand in just five years. I experienced my father's talent for animal husbandry and my family's traditions up close. And I was there the day my mother and brothers decided to continue after my father's death. All of this made me think and inspired me several years later to open Undarmaa Cashmere.

Denmark - Mongolia

The shop saw the light of day in 2006 after I had lived in Denmark for several years, enjoyed trips home to Mongolia, and realized how much people abroad appreciate my country's fantastic raw materials and its unique potential.
I realized that I could help bring Mongolia, its spaciousness, tranquility, nature, and nomadic life to Denmark. That I could help strengthen the identity and self-esteem of my people.
In many ways, Undarmaa Cashmere is the sum of who I am. My identity, my culture, and everything I have learned. It is a piece of the world that I and my entire family come from. I hope you would like to get to know us better.

- Undarmaa