The French Indian summer seems to reach its end : cold wind are already picking at their first victims and blushing our cheekbones with sweet red. Pull-overs, scarfs, hats and gloves, that we had meticulously tidied up deep in our closet receive their patent of nobility , and nobility at Ideo conjugates itself with Alpaca.

A material with outstanding properties

Alpaca is well known for its thermal quality and for its lightness. This wool comes from the animal of the same name, the lama’s cousin, and and 90 % of it is produced in Peru. It was used to dress up the members of the royal family, and it has since kept the fame of a luxurious good. The higher is the altitude where the alpacas are raised, the silkier will be the wool. It is so soft that some people don’t mind wearing it directly over their skin. It is also a much more resistant fibre than the sheep wool is, meaning products made of alpaca are particularly sustainable. Its declension in different natural colors is another positive aspect for the environment : black, brown and beige shades fuel creation possibilities without falling back on very polluting dyes. We make good use of this diversity in the making of an accessory range : Alpi, Mani, Whooli and Tisi.

The possibility to develop a savoir-faire and maintain biodiversity

On the conventional market, alpacas is almost unaffordable, and at a lower price you will find it mixed with another type of fibre. Reducing the number of intermediaries, Ideo’s challenge was to propose products 100% alpaca with a reasonable price ensuring the producers a fair retribution. The accessories in natural alpaca were made by small craftsmen gathered in cooperatives themselves headed by a Non-Governmental-Organisation.

The NGO plays a key role in keeping local the savoir-faire for which markets are found. To ensure not only the activity’s durability but also its growth, the NGO organizes training sessions providing craftsmen with skills to develop and renew their production. This is a chance for these producers too often threatened with rural exodus. Moreover the NGO favours transparency practises inviting clients to visit their producers.