Supermodels SA December 2014 Issue 40 | Page 38

Rachel on the Go by: Rachel Ulloa Alpaca Style Cashmere, terry cloth and silk are some of the fabrics people are familiar with. But I am going to switch it up, so buckle your seat belts and put your hands in the air and allow me to reintroduce the alpaca. Alpaca wool is taking currently the fashion industry by storm. Designers are using alpaca fiber in their designs while at the same time also staying on the safe side with regards to animal activists. They are able to harvest the a fibres from the animal without having to kill it. Take a look at these beautiful alpacas in Arequipa, Peru. The alpaca is very similar to a lama and can found in countries in South America such as Southern Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador and Chile. The alpaca is not only an adorable animal but fashionable as well. Fibers from our fury friends are now being used in sweaters, ponchos and hats to name a few. I wanted to find out more about this latest trend and spoke to Leila Kalousek from Godettes Peru, who deals exclusively from high end imports from their native country. Leila is based in Manhattan, New York, and she believes Peruvian baby alpaca fiber is fast becoming a fashion movement. Leila, together with other Peruvians in the fashion industry, is trying to educate people about the alpaca fiber. Leila explained that there are about 6 million alpacas in Peru, however, a third of these die every year due to the country’s cold weather. Farmers therefore have no choice but to recycle the fur and due to high demand they can supply to designers the world over. In Peru alpaca’s are bred for their fur and not for their meat. This off course is music to this blogger’s ears as I’m a huge animal lover!