Our The Turtle neck Tunic Sweater, knit from Baby Alpaca & Organic Pima Cotton blended fibers.

Every item in our handmade, sustainable knitwear collection tells a story. Each sweater, dress, and accessory is a thread that connects us to traditional Peruvian artistry passed down from generation to generation.

 

The story starts with alpaca fibers ethically sourced from the mountains of Peru. Cloud-soft and luxuriously warm, alpaca fibers carry a low carbon footprint and serve as the primary source of income for the people that call the Andes Mountains home.

Our knitwear collection is crafted from sustainably-sourced alpaca in fair trade, family-owned studios in Peru like that of Juan Vargas. 

To source alpaca fibers and connect with Peruvian weavers, we work with Allpa, a woman-led Peruvian business founded by sociologists Nelly Canepa and Maria del Carmen de la Fuente.

We’ve found kindred spirits in Nelly and Maria. Like LAUDE the Label, they are devoted to fair wages, just working conditions, sustainable sourcing, and planet-friendly practices (their products are certified Fair Trade by the World Fair Trade Organization and Peru Fair Trade). Nelly and Maria also believe in honoring traditional techniques, listening to their artisans’ stories, and connecting local Peruvian artisans to broader markets to offer a sustainable source of income for local communities.

Peruvian alpacas roaming the hillside. Image courtesy of Allpa Peru.

Allpa works with weavers like Simon, who grew up watching his mother knit scarves and hats before deciding to start his own knitting business. We love that our sweaters can play a small part in preserving the age-old traditions carried on by the many artisans that carefully knit our favorite garments by hand.

Above: The Cropped Cardigan in Oat. Below: A knitter putting the finishing touch on alpaca pieces.