Sustainable Clothes

In 2020, The government of Uzbekistan decided to reduce the force and child labour in the cotton fields. All due to the Fairtrade movement. That is good news, but we have a lot to do.

Forced labour makes up around 25% of the worldwide production of cotton. A question that we should ask ourselves is. Who makes the clothes we wear, and in which conditions do they live? Documentaries like 'The true cost' show us. How low-cost production systems are sustained by slave hands. And how the fashion industry deals with its workers.

Furthermore, the fast-fashion industry promotes the use of pesticides and chemicals. The main thing here is to produce quickly and cheaply. In addition to the vast amounts of dirty water, wage slavery is also indispensable.

Meanwhile, more customers are becoming more aware of the clothes they buy. And they have been channelling their objections, making a change in the fashion industry.

Nowadays that we are looking for sustainable clothing, is when alpaca wool stands out. That is because it is one of the few noble fibres that can be considered sustainable. Since Vicuñas are endangered animals and a high percentage of Kashmir wool manufacture is made by forced labour. On the other hand, Alpaca wool is fully traceable, and all the information about who has worked it is available.

Why is Andes Alpaca a sustainable brand?

Andes Alpaca is a sustainable fashion brand. We offer clothing only from free-living alpacas that reproduce in their natural habitat. For this reason, we work exclusively with the indigenous peoples of the Andes. They live from alpaca breeding and traditionally let the alpacas graze outdoors in herds all year round. Alpacas live between 3,000 - 5,000 metres above sea level.
Sustainable economic systems include long-distance grazing, which is interconnected with the natural ecosystem. It adapts slowly and continuously, which is precisely where Andes Alpaca comes in. In indigenous cultures, the traditionally sustainable economy is deeply rooted and a moral guideline. The indigenous peoples have an interest in protecting and maintaining the ecosystems and try to affect the stability of the ecosystems as little as possible.

Our ecological clothing consists exclusively of shorn alpaca wool. To help the mobility of the alpacas, they are shorn once a year. Due to the many different natural shades of the alpaca fibres, there is no need for dyeing the wool. This saves a lot of water and the associated environmental pollution is eliminated. The colouring of individual clothing is made based on plants and without any chemicals.

Andes Alpaca has set itself the goal of bringing a completely sustainable product to the market. Therefore, all materials used in the manufacturing process as well as the packaging are 100% ecological.