The alpaca (or Lama Pacos), is the cousin of the Lama, Guanacos and Vigogne (who lives in the wild). It is one of the most beautiful South American camelids.
Alpaca has been sought after and appreciated for its wool since the time of pre-Inca cultures, due to the exceptional properties and quality of its fleece. There are two types of alpaca : Huacayo and Suri.
It is raised in the highlands of the Andes, where it was domesticated thousands of years ago. It is estimated that there are between 3.5 and 4 million alpacas in South America, mainly in Peru, Chile and Bolivia. About 95% of it live in southern Peru. The alpaca lives at altitudes varying from 3500 to over 4500 meters, where temperatures fluctuate between -20 and + 30 ° C. They survive on a low protein diet, based on Andean vegetation.
Alpaca fiber is a silky, flexible, soft, light fiber while being resistant, with unique thermal properties due to the microscopic air pockets that compose it. These pockets allow the body to breathe in hot weather, and trap body temperature in cold weather, allowing it to be worn in any season. This fiber is also waterproof and non-flammable.
The alpaca has more than 24 natural shades, which also made its reputation among the best textile designers in the world. The versatility of its fiber allows it to be knitted, as well as woven, for the world of fashion and decoration.
Today Peruvian producers work this thousand-year-old fiber with passion, accompanied by the best technology, while favoring respect for the environment, animals, and respecting ancestral traditions.
