Norlha pieces cleaned and hand-finished by Alex's Dry Cleaning Valet.
Heritage & Expertise
Norlha, Cared For by Alex's Team
Norlha was founded in 2007 by Kim and Dechen Yeshi in the nomad village of Ritoma, high on the windswept grasslands of the Tibetan Plateau. In Tibetan, norlha means "wealth of the gods" — the name nomads give their yaks — and the atelier was the first in the world to bring yak khullu into luxury fashion, the gossamer under-down gathered from baby yaks as it naturally molts during their first spring and handwoven entirely on-site.
Khullu is warmer, stronger, and far more pill-resistant than cashmere, but its loft is fragile: a single piece can pass through eight artisans' hands and take over a hundred days to weave. Aggressive solvents, hot water, and mechanical agitation flatten that hand-built loft permanently and can felt the fibers beyond recovery. Alex's specializes in exactly this kind of delicate, irreplaceable handwoven knitwear.
Specialist Care
How Alex's Cares for Norlha
We clean Norlha by hand in cool water with pH-neutral fiber wash, never harsh solvents, then block and air-dry each piece flat to protect the khullu's natural loft and weave.
Yak khullu under-down
We hand-wash in cool water with a mild, pH-neutral wool wash — never bleach, never fabric softener — so the ultra-fine down, finer than most cashmere at roughly 15 to 16 microns, keeps the breathable warmth that makes khullu rarer and loftier than cashmere.
Handwoven loft
Norlha's weave is built by hand over many days; we never machine-agitate or tumble it. Each piece is gently reshaped and dried flat so the airy three-dimensional drape returns instead of collapsing.
Natural pill resistance
Khullu pills far less than cashmere, and we keep it that way — no friction-heavy processing, just careful hand-finishing and de-pilling by hand only where the surface needs it.
Undyed and naturally dyed tones
Many Norlha pieces use the yak's own browns, greys, and creams or gentle natural dyes; we use color-safe, low-impact methods that protect these subtle tones from fading or bleeding.
Hand-finished fringe and edges
Scarves and shawls finish in delicate hand-knotted fringe; we detangle, comb, and press these by hand so the edges fall exactly as the artisan intended.
Pickup & Delivery
Door-to-Door Across the Bay Area
The same white-glove standard travels everywhere we serve. Pickup from your front door, doorman, or garage — returned cleaned, pressed, and ready to wear.
San Francisco
Monday – Saturday
Next-business-day return; Saturday pickups return Tuesday morning.
Peninsula & South Bay
Monday · Wednesday · Friday
Returned on the next scheduled service day.
Marin County
Every Day
Same-day return is the standard — morning pickups come back the same afternoon.
East Bay
Thursday & Saturday
Returned on the next service day.
Wine Country
Monday & Thursday
Sonoma & the Napa Valley — $300 service minimum, or a $75 delivery charge each way.
$75 minimum per pickup with free pickup and delivery across San Francisco, the Peninsula, Marin, and the East Bay. Wine Country (Napa, Sonoma & St. Helena): $300 service minimum, or a $75 delivery charge each way. Same-day service available in most areas for an additional fee.
Common Questions
Norlha Garment Care FAQ
Can my Norlha yak wool scarf be dry cleaned?
Norlha recommends against harsh dry-cleaning solvents for its yak khullu — they strip the fiber's natural oils and flatten the handwoven loft. Alex's hand-cleans Norlha in cool water with a gentle, pH-neutral wool wash, then dries it flat. This is the safe, fiber-appropriate method for khullu, and the one Norlha's own care guidance points to.
How do you keep a Norlha sweater from felting or shrinking?
Felting happens when wool meets heat, moisture, and agitation together. We hand-wash each Norlha piece in cool (never warm) water, never wring or tumble it, and block it to its original measurements while it air-dries flat. That controlled process protects the khullu weave so your knit keeps its exact shape and size.
Do you offer door-to-door pickup for Norlha pieces in San Francisco?
Yes. Alex's Dry Cleaning Valet has been a family-run, door-to-door service since 1984 — we have and come to you across San Francisco and the Bay Area. Simply text 415-338-9318 to schedule a pickup, and we'll collect your Norlha knitwear and return it cleaned and hand-finished at your door.