Ergun Khorchin Specializes In All-Weather Cashmere

It’s no secret that our picturesque corner of the globe offers a trove of beautifully made goods — from one-of-a-kind home wares to delectable food items, and of course, stylish clothing. Among them, there’s Ergun Khorchin, the luxury cashmere house created by James Cheung, located right here in Bridgehampton. Here, we get to know Cheung and his chic designs that feel right at home wherever your holiday travels might take you, from Mongolia to Montauk, and everywhere in between.

Tell us how the brand got its start.

The brand actually is a spin-off of what my mother, Judy, started in La Jolla, CA 16 years ago. My parents, who are originally from Taiwan and Hong Kong, travel to China quite often. During one of their trips, they came back with these amazing cashmere scarves. Through friends, Judy expanded her cashmere scarf business through Southern California. In 2017, Judy was ready to retire, and that’s when I stepped in.

The Hamptons has the same coastal classic style as La Jolla, where the ocean breeze on a cool summer night always warrants a light weight cashmere scarf — which is what we are known for. We decided to start our own cashmere brand based on Hamptons living and lifestyle.

What led you to specialize in fine cashmere and wool?

We specialize mainly in fine cashmere because it’s such a versatile material. For lightweight cashmere, it’s thin enough to be breathable in the summers, providing just the right amount of warmth from ocean breezes to airconditioned restaurants.

That same fine, thin cashmere scarf can be doubled up around the neck, providing extra warmth on cold winter days. With one scarf, you’re basically investing in a piece that can be worn year-round.

How do you find inspiration for your designs in the Hamptons?

The Hamptons is full of what I’d like to call, coastal casual. Softer color palettes, with a sense that things are airy and light. It works hand-in-hand with the same feeling our fine cashmere gives.

Do you travel often to source new materials?

We partnered directly with one factory directly in Inner Mongolia. This lets us work with the factory to find new innovative ways for weaving so the cashmere doesn’t pull as easily, to the ability to do private labels for other companies, as well as provide lower required minimum order quantities for our wholesale accounts.

Where does the brand’s name come from?

We chose the name Ergun Khorchin because it represents the name of the city in which we particularly source our cashmere. Our logo, which is a symbol of a windmill with a goat inside it, symbolizes the windmills you’ll find through the Hamptons, along with a cashmere goat, showing our Hamptons-inspired brand.

What are some of your most popular styles in the collection?

Our most popular style and what we are known for is our ultra thin, butter like cashmere. It comes in an array of solid colors, matching beautifully with any outfit. It is thin enough to wear in the summers as a shawl, and in the winters, if you double it around your neck, it provides the warmth you need for those cold winter days.

Our other most popular style is our Hamptons Artist collection. We have collaborated with three artists: Steve Miller, Laurie Lambrecht, and Darius Yektai. We took their artwork and printed it onto our ultra-thin cashmere collection. The inspiration came from bringing art into fashion with some fun, creative pieces.

How can we shop the collection?

Currently we are located in different retailers throughout the U.S., which can be found on our website, http://www.ergunkhorchin.com. We also have a brick and mortar for those who would like to come and visit. We are located at 2450 Montauk Highway in Bridgehampton.

Lastly, as with many of our clients who spend their winters outside of the Hamptons, we offer a unique remote shopping experience. We assign each client a personal shopper who can curate a selection of our pieces to fit the unique style that particular client.

Many of our clients will send pictures of their outfits, and we help by matching up the perfect scarf or shawl. All the client needs to do is call us at 631-808-3331, and we can set up the process.