Storage is most of the job
Fold, do not hang. A pashmina shawl hung on a hanger will distort along the shoulder line within a season, because the fibre is fine enough to creep under its own weight.
Store in breathable cotton or muslin, never in plastic. Plastic traps moisture against the fibre, and trapped moisture is what turns a storage season into mildew. A cotton bag with a cedar block is the traditional answer and is still the right one.
Refold along different lines each season. A crease left in the same place for years eventually becomes a weakness in the fibre.
Cleaning
Dry clean, and use a cleaner who has handled pashmina before. The risk is not the solvent, it is the mechanical agitation and the pressing — an aggressive press flattens the pile and takes the loft out permanently.
Spot-treat immediately with a clean, barely damp cloth and no soap; work from the outside of the mark inwards. Most staining that becomes permanent does so because it was rubbed.
Tilla and other metal-thread work should never be steamed directly. Heat and moisture tarnish the metal wrap, and once it dulls it does not come back.
Pilling and pulls are normal
Fine fibre pills. It is a property of the material, not a defect, and it is worst in the first few wears where the garment rubs — under an arm, against a bag strap. Remove pills with a comb or a pumice-style sweater stone, not a rotary shaver, which cuts the surrounding fibres.
A pulled thread should be eased back with a needle from the reverse, never cut. On handwoven cloth a cut thread will run.
Rafugari
Kashmir has a specialist repair tradition — rafugari — and a skilled rafugar can reweave damage so it is genuinely hard to find. It is worth seeking one out before writing off a damaged piece, particularly for kani work where the pattern is structural and cannot be patched over.