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Dec 23, 2014
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Alpaca wool winning over international market

By
AFP
Published
Dec 23, 2014

For the Incas, it was "the wool of the gods," more precious than gold and reserved solely for emperors. Today, alpaca is all the rage far beyond the borders of Peru, well-known abroad for its delicacy, warmth and versatility, and is out to win over luxury brands.

Mixing handfuls of wool skeins, amidst the clattering of machines that sort, wash, dry and card the precious fiber, Derek Michell cannot praise "alpaca magic" enough. 

"It’s an extraordinary material that is more a kind of fur than wool—it’s much softer, lighter, silky and durable. It has unique thermal properties thanks to small bubbles in its fibers that keep you warm in winter and keep you cool on hot days," Derek Michell told the AFP in one of the five factories that his company owns in Arequipa, one of Peru’s most important textile centers.

Producers, designers and buyers from around the world recently convened at "AlpacaFiesta", the most important alpaca industry event, organized in mid-November in Arequipa, Peru’s second largest city, which overlooks El Misti volcano and is known as "the white city". 

AlpacaFiesta will "go down as a milestone in Peru’s textile history," Cesar Ludgens, one of the event’s organizers, told the AFP, with more than 15 million dollars worth of the precious fiber having been sold within a few days to some 70 international buyers.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Trade, alpaca exports jumped 58% between 2009 and 2013, mainly in the direction of China, Italy and Japan, generating more than 130 million dollars. 

From January to September 2014, they even rose by 66.6% as compared to last year. 

From Andean pastures to store shelves to preparation for export, the company Michell, which was founded in 1931 in Arequipa by Derek’s grandfather, an Englishman who had come to seek his fortune in Peru, is a pioneer in the alpaca industry, employing 50,000 families in the region. 

Izumi Ichikawa, a representative of one of Japan’s largest shopping channels, made the trip to Peru in order to "see firsthand the quality of alpaca wool for an Asian market already saturated with cashmere," the material’s main rival, whose superiority has begun to decline due to mass production, according to experts. 

Herds of alpacas, which are part of the family Camelidae (which also includes vicuñas and llamas) roamed the Andes for thousands of years before being domesticated by pre-Inca civilizations. 

There are some 4 million in South America, 90% of which inhabit southern Peru, surviving at high altitudes (11,500 to 16,000 feet) and in extreme weather conditions, with temperature variations ranging from -4 °F to 86 °F. 

Americans Jared Johnston and his wife Meyla, who are from Idaho, have created a monthly magazine entitled Alpaca Culture, which addresses the alpaca breeder community in the United States. 

They confess that they are "impressed by the quality of Peruvian production." 

"It makes us excited," said Meyla Johnston. "We want to raise awareness about alpaca wool in the US and about breeding that respects the environment and the rules of sustainable development." 

On the international market "it’s the right time for alpaca wool, which is destined for growth," said Johnston.

In 17th century cloisters transformed into shopping malls in the colonial center of Arequipa, Peruvian designer Jenny Duarte has opened an elegant shop dedicated to alpaca wool. 

Alpaca, she explains, is one of the few animals with a rich palette of natural shades—over 20—from the deepest black to snow white to every shade of cream, tan, brown and gray. 

Having attended a design school in Paris, she works with small groups of local artisans who carry on traditional techniques. 

"We want to introduce the entire world to alpaca," she told the AFP, "and to show that it can also be used to design very sophisticated clothes."

"Until now," she smiles, "it’s been thought of as something folksy and craftsy—a material for souvenirs like hats with llamas embroidered on them." 

However, she regrets that "Peruvians are not used to wearing alpaca. We have a rich and ancient culture that is a fabulous source of inspiration for us designers—something that we can explore and reinterpret.

By Marie SANZ

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