Alpaca Wool

ATELIER VALIGI ORGANIC AND NATURAL YARNS

We only sources organic or natural yarns to craft our garments. A yarn is organic when it comes from certified organic farms. In such farms, the animals are fed organic produce, treated with natural products, and guaranteed adequate space to move freely. A natural yarn is free of chemical treatments during the production process. It therefore is still rich in protein and has a composition similar to that of human skin. Natural yarns have the benefit of maintaining constant heat while remaining breathable. Discover the many benefits of our organic and natural yarns.

WHAT ARE THE CHARACTERISTICS AND BENEFITS OF ALPACA WOOL

Alpaca wool is a natural fiber that forms warm, soft, durable, and sustainable garments. Although our native region, Umbria, has a rich heritage of cashmere craftsmanship, we chose to feature Alpaca wool in our collection instead, due to its lighter environmental impact than that of cashmere.

From a creative standpoint, we love the heavier, richer texture of alpaca wool. The fabric feels so close to the alpaca itself that it immediately transports us to its natural habitat and to a place of harmony with nature.

Alpaca fibers measure more than double that of cashmere fibers, making them longer lasting and less likely to pill. Since cashmere gained popularity worldwide, breeders produced more cashmere to meet the growing demand, sacrificing the fiberss quality. As a result, its shorter and coarser fiber pills more easily and is less durable.

Additionally, Alpacas’ hollow fibers allow to retain more body heat than the pockets of air in sheep fibers, making alpaca knits warmer than cashmere.

WHY IS ALPACA WOOL MORE SUSTAINABLE THAN CASHMERE?

Besides our inspiration, we were most drawn to the fabric’s sustainability. Alpaca wool is ethically sourced and cruelty-free as the alpacas are not harmed, but gently sheared by their farmers.

Alpacas have a lower environmental footprint than that of the cashmere goats. They consume less water and avoid soil erosion. Thanks to their padded hooves, alpacas have a light impact on the soil they graze, while goats have sharp hooves that damage the land.

Not only does the Alpacas’ fuller fleece produce more wool than Kashmir goats do, but they are soft all around. It therefore takes mroe sheep than alpacas to produce the same amount of yarn.

Alpacas wool naturally range from deep blacks to light browns, silvers, greys, and soft pink, offering 22 natural colours without relying on any harsh chemicals to obtain rich and unique colors.

For the luxury lovers, alpacas are scarcers with an estimated 3.5 million animals wordlwide, whereas cashmere goats amount to 700 million worldwide.

Alpaca wool’s long and smooth fiber means it easily stretches, so we chose to weave it with merinos wool to help bring the garment back to shape. Merinos wool eprfectly complements alpaca in the weaving process with its strong fiber, and in the final garment bringing warmth and softness. The merinos and alpaca wool we source are both certified 100% Made in Italy, traceable, and eco-friendly by ICEA-GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard).

DISCOVER OUR ALPACA KNITS__