About the Artisans
The inspiration for our range of alpaca products comes from the beautiful textiles woven by the Aymara and Quechua artisans of Chile and Peru. This time-honoured art form, an important part of Andean culture and one of their principle livelihoods, is in danger of serious decline as the local demand for hand woven textiles decreases with people turning to cheaper, modern alternatives.
Artisans From Peru
Today some artisans use more sophisticated looms but on the whole the tools and methods used to convert natural fibres into beautiful and practical products have remained unchanged for hundreds of years.
The alpaca wool is prepared for spinning with extensive cleaning and carding to align the fibres. Spinning accounts for the majority of the time required to produce a textile. The Drop Spindle, which resembles a toy spinning top, is the simple device which, when expertly handled, produces a beautiful yam with subtle irregularities or ’slubs’ – key to the character of the woven piece. The yam is washed using gentle soaps and dyed with traditional vegetable dyes made from locally grown herbs. Once the yarn has dried in the sun it is ready to be stretched and interlaced on the loom.
Working together with the artisans, we are able to combine traditional skills and know-how with a fresh design approach, to offer unique and exciting products to design-led markets world-wide.