Century old, family-run textile house Le Kasha received a revival in the form of multidisciplinary designer Mali Marciano in 2016. Taking her family’s heritage she transformed the maison into a modern cashmere collection, made in Mongolia, designed in Paris. The label has continued to flourish and grow under Marciano’s direction and now boasts seasonal collections dedicated to various luxury materials, including silk, linen, velvet and of course cashmere. The by-appointment boutique, atelier and concept space on the palace Saint Martin is a physical evolution of Le Kasha et Marciano’s vision, housing a complete women’s and men’s wardrobe, alongside vintage and rare books, design pieces and objets d’art collected throughout her regular travels.

The Silk Road, by Mali Marciano and photographer Mark Borthwick is a cumulation of the vision of the house, the ancient fabrics it stands for and the path of the ancient silk road. Shot during an intimate visit and exploration of the infamous path, during what was the pair’s second time to meet. The photographic monograph travels with the pair throughout their month-long pilgrimage from the wilds of Mongolia through the deserts of Egypt all the way to the canals of Venice, Italy. Along their month-long pilgrimage, Borthwick turns his lens on Marciano herself within each landscape, revealing her creations for Le Kasha throughout the three chapters of their journey. Through Borthwick‘s diaristic photography portfolio, Marciano reveals the peoples, rituals, natural and built environments that continue to inspire her, using the Silk Road as a through line for Le Kasha’s creative universe and origin story.

“The Silk Road is different for everyone. For me, it is a spiritual link between the past and the present, preserved by those authentic materials and the craftsmen who create them.

By sharing this expedition, I hope that the beauty of these places will inspire a new generation of nomads – travellers like myself whose burning curiosity for a sense of adventure cannot be satisfied through a screen.” Says Marciano of the project.

Borthwick was a natural selection for designer Marciano, when she started researching for photographers she could work with for the project, his world instantly drew her in and she knew it had to be him. The London-born photographer started out as a make-up artist before moving to Paris, buying a nightclub and finding himself photographing his clientele, a glitzy selection of friends that included fashion editors, designers, stylists and models. His photographs soon made their way into fashion and lifestyle magazines such as i-D and The Face. His minimal but colour-saturated aesthetic broke through the conventions of fashion photography and he went on to become one of the 1990’s most influential and defining photographers.

The Silk Road is available for purchase online at www.lekasha.com

Concept by Beda Achermann
with texts from Mark Borthwick, Mali Marciano and Dan Thawley

Photography: Mark Borthwick
Concept and Design: Studio Achermann

Fabric-bound hardcover book of 3 cover shades: sand, ochre, and burnt sienna

430 pages, 26.0 x 35.0 cm

January 2024

Publisher: Le Kasha Co-Publisher: OFR Paris