This is an important question that we are happy to answer by also answering a sub question that we often receive...
Does alpaca wool hurt the alpaca when it’s harvested?
Alpaca wool is a sustainable and cruelty-free textile option for garments.
Alpaca wool is harvested when the alpacas are sheared. Traditionally, in the Andes, this happens in the summertime. This haircut doesn’t hurt the animal because the farmers use sheers to gently cut the alpaca extra wool. Shearing is actually helpful to the animal who can overheat from its big fur if left uncut.
Do alpaca farmers make money when I buy an alpaca blanket?
At Art Andina, we work in close collaboration with various talented artisans and alpaca farmers from the indigenous community of Otavalo, Ecuador. By working directly with these families, we are striving to create authentic, human-scale products. We are cutting out the middlemen, bringing customers the product directly from the makers, allowing better profit for the artisans and farmers. Each product is unique and allows this community to share their talent with the world for a fair price.
How do south Americans do alpaca blankets?
At Art Andina, we collaborate with the artisan community of Otavalo in Ecuador, who have been raising alpacas and weaving alpaca wool for over 200 years. The wool used in our products has been handwoven using an ancestral technique that has been passed down from generation to generation and is unique to their community. They use big weaving looms that allow for making the blanket’s pattern in a single piece.
