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Vicuña

 

The vicuña fibre comes from the namesake animal, a camelid that is closely related to camels, alpacas, and llamas and lives wild in the Andes at an altitude of over 4,000 metres. To survive the harsh winters and scorching summers, the vicuñas have developed an insulating underfleece with extremely thin, short, and very dense fibres that, on average, measure a mere 12.5 microns in diameter. They have a characteristically golden hue and remarkable thermoregulating properties.

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Loro Piana’s effort is recognised as an example in endangered species conservation. More than 30 years ago the vicuñas were close to extinction due to illegal hunting and the lack of regular, tangible regulations. 

Thanks to a joint effort with the Peruvian government and the Andean communities, an international fibre trade framework for the management of the vicuñas was established in 1994, and since than the vicuna population has more than quadrupled.

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Loro Piana has been making direct investments in Peru for years, starting from the communities theMaison directly works with, contributing to irrigation projects, health, and education for the benefit of the local communities.

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In 2018, Loro Piana initiated the “Water Project” in Peru to address the threat of water scarcity. This project has enabled Loro Piana to establish rainwater containment basins in Arequipa Region, South Peru, with the goal of irrigating surrounding areas to address the growing water scarcity and enhance pasture potential.