Alpaca Merchant products are purposely photographed on location in Bolivia. Myth and Legend
The highland Andes have been known through myth and legend as one of the access points for vast underground subterranean cities, the domain of inner-earth beings who from time to time, emerge from their lower worlds into the upper atmosphere of our third-dimensional density. These ancient legends speak of vast networks of tunnels criss-crossing the entire length and breadth of the planet. Traditions of vaults, labyrinths and buried treasures of remote antiquity are found in Crete, Egypt, Tibet, Mexico, Ecuador, Bolivia and Peru. Inca prophecy tells of the upper, middle and lower worlds, other realities existing in both physical and astral/etheric form. Several places in the Andes mountains are considered gateways to these realms and doorways where emergence and entrance are possible. Included among this distinction are the famous sacred sites of Sacsayhuaman in the Peruvian Andes and the ancient pre-Incan city of Tiwanaku near the shores of Lake Titicaca in Bolivia.
Illimani, Bolivia
Our logo represents Illimani Mountain. Illimani (from Aymara, meaning "golden eagle") is the highest peak in the Cordillera Real (part of the Cordillera Oriental, a subrange of the Andes) of western Bolivia and is easily visible from La Paz. It lies just south of the city at the eastern edge of the Altiplano. It is the second highest peak in Bolivia, after Nevado Sajama and the eighteenth highest peak in South America. The snow line lies at about 4,570 metres (15,000 feet) above sea level and glaciers are found on the northern face at 4,983 metres (16,350 feet). The mountain has four main peaks; the highest is the south summit, Nevado Illimani, which is a popular ascent for mountain climbers.
Most of Bolivia lies as near to the equator as Tahiti or Hawaii, but its elevation and unprotected expanses result in unpredictable weather. The two poles of climatic extremes are Puerto Suárez with its overwhelming heat and Uyuni for its icy, piercing cold winds. But there are no absolutes; at times you can sunbathe in Uyuni and freeze in Puerto Suárez.
The capital city La Paz rests at 3,657 metres (12,000 feet) above sea level with maximum temperatures only nudging the 20°C (68°F) mark and dropping to the low single digits at night. In the Bolivian lowlands, however, and you'll be peeling off the layers, with average monthly highs sitting around 30°C (86°F). In both cases, the rain is generally less in the middle months, especially July; November to March at low altitudes are downright soaking.
All the Alpaca Merchant products that you see on our site are handmade in Nevado Sajama, where alpacas are a national treasure. Our products reflect the superior quality of these animals, so only prime fleece and superior grades of fibre are used which are designed to fit well with our active modern lifestyles. Classic, elegant everyday styles with weights that are suitable for both cold and warm weather.
Alpaca Merchant work exclusively with super fine alpaca and 100% organic Bolivian fibre. No chemical dyes are used in our colouring process.
More detailed images of Alpaca Merchant clothing wear can be viewed online at Flickr. Contact Us to receive specific product marketing collateral. What is Alpaca?
Indigenous people in South America have raised alpaca for its fleece for thousands of years before Europeans learned about the animal and exported alpaca fiber to Spain in the 16th and 17th centuries. Today this domesticated animal is bred throughout the world, but its native habitat is the Andean altiplano: Ecuador, southern Peru, northern Bolivia, and northern Chile.
Descended from the wild vicuaña, alpaca resemble a cross between a llama and a sheep. Its fleece is similar to sheep's wool, but is much softer, less prickly, and has minimal lanolin content, making it virtually hypoallergenic. Its extreme warmth, relatively light weight and natural resistance to water make alpaca wool an ideal fabric for the frigid winters of the Andean altiplano. These qualities have also led to a rise in the use of alpaca fiber in outdoor gear and active wear, although it is also easily spun into a fine enough yarn for use in suits and other dress wear. Most alpaca products can be treated as you would an object made of sheep's wool-hand wash using a mild soap and lukewarm water, or dry clean. Instructions for specific care of your alpaca clothing is included on every product page within our merchant portfolio. Why Does Alpaca Clothing Wear Cost So Much?
Think of it this way, it took an alpaca one entire year to grow enough hair for your jumper, a jumper that will last a lifetime as the fibre is very strong in comparison to cashmere or wool. The fibre does not thin out as other natural fibres do, so your jumper will remain as soft and silky for generations as the day it was made. Buying organic alpaca clothing is an investment.
The ALPACA is the camelid (a mammal of the camel family) that serves as the main subsistence for Andean people. Alpacas live in the Peruvian Andes at altitudes ranging from 3,000 to 4,500 metres above sea level and withstand extreme sub-zero temperatures. In the fashion industry, Alpaca fibre is renowned to be one of the most luxurious, softest, resistant and beautiful fibres. Knitting Alpaca Clothing
High in the Andes range, the seemingly ubiquitous woman sporting a whirling drop spindle, incessantly spinning, is a well-known cultural feature in the ethnographic landscape. This bucolic image symbolises a rhythm of daily life increasingly challenged by the reality of contemporary economic and social patterns. Throughout Bolivia, especially in tiny mountainous villages eternally clicking knitting needles have replaced the spindle in women's hands. Yet, just as the romantic scene of a woman spinning may belie the monotony, drudgery and hardship of a rural lifestyle, the beauty and simplicity of weaving handcrafted alpaca wears masks the harsh and complex reality in which hand-knits are produced. At Alpaca Merchant, we offer a better way for our hand weaver. We stand together on the same stage to publicise and inform a greater public of the life and talents too long hidden from the world. Together, we proudly want to inform our clientele of the skills and time testament crafts ever present in Bolivia and all over the Andes region.
The key to empowering people lies in confidence and awareness-building and sharing knowledge so that they can take more control over their own lives. • More in the News section... |
