Baby Alpaca Throw

Nestled in the Peruvian Andes, alpaca ranchers have been deriving their livelihoods and supplying the world with one of its the most beautiful fibers since the time of the Incas.

Baby alpaca refers not to the age (no babies involved!) but to the fleece obtained from the softest part of the animal's underbelly where the fibers are superfine (22-23 microns). The benefits of baby alpaca are many:

• Super soft. Compared to wool, alpaca has a cashmere-like softness (withouy the exploitive ecological & human side effects).
• Warm. Though it's lighter, baby alpaca is seven times warmer than wool.
• Resistant. While not appropriate for extended rainy weather, compared to wool, alpaca is three times more water resistant and better resists damage and mildew.
• Hypoallergenic. Alpaca contains no lanolin, the substance found in sheeps wool that causes itchiness for many people.
• Earth-friendly. Almost no other clothing fiber has a smaller carbon footprint. Compared to sheep, the alpaca's upper lip allows it to eat crass without uprooting it so there's no long term grazing damage. It's why alpaca have been herding on the same land for millennia.

Often when brands talk about sustainability, they are talking about making products that respect the environment and its limited resources - something to be applauded for sure. But at Fair Indigo, it also means sustainable lives for the world's workers too.

Our alpaca facility is a model for fair trade. Immaculate working conditions, wages far above legal minimums, and on-site benefits like a health clinic, worker-owned cooperative grocery store, and a team of professional chefs that prepare delicious Peruvian meals for our team.