ALPACA  GAZETTE

ALPACA NEWS AND ARTICLES

Dateline - USA

Fashion Shows - New York Times


March 8, 2007
Front Row

Bo Peep’s Sheep Found!
By ERIC WILSON
LOOKING at the tail end of the monthlong caravan of fashion shows, one might
take in the menagerie of barnyard moments on the runways of Europe and wonder if
designers had checked into a funny farm.
There were chickens in cages and country dogs lying about at John Galliano’s
show, a more literal interpretation of the animal theme than Miuccia Prada’s
shaggy sweaters and faux-faux fur coats — actually alpaca made to look fake —
which had editors talking of the cast of “Sesame Street.” A sad-looking green
tunic sweater from Alexander McQueen, worn over a shiny black body suit,
reminded them of Kermit’s lament, and that big yellow fox chubby at Emanuel
Ungaro would have kept Big Bird from his usual complaints of the shivers.
There were feathers dangling from the designs of Olivier Theyskens at Nina
Ricci. There were feathers in the models’ hair, too, and this after what looked
like a few birds had landed on their heads at Jean Paul Gaultier a few days
before.
It will not be apparent for a season or so what animal rights activists will
make of all this. A few of them turned up last week at the shows, where there
was hardly a mink stole in sight. There were exceptions, of course, and
certainly some rather extravagant use of fur and animal skins at Hermès, Celine
and Christian Dior.
But there were inklings of a change of thinking, with some designers tilting
ever so slightly toward that of Stella McCartney, who is vocally opposed to
animal cruelty. The only creatures to be found in her collection appeared in a
pattern of polar bears on a sweater.
At Chanel, a similar motif turned up on sweaters that showed penguins à la
“Happy Feet,” and during a preview of his show, the designer Karl Lagerfeld
pointed out that his latest croc clutches were actually made of jersey sewn to
look like reptile skin.
“It’s eco-friendly Chanel,” he said, though you got the feeling of a wolf in
sheep’s clothing.
 

Dateline - Peru

Benetton’s 2007 fall-winter collection has predominantly a Peruvian touch(JP-wb)
— Peruvian cotton and alpaca wool were the protagonists in a fashion parade
presenting the new 2007 autumn-winter collection of Italian brands ‘United
Colors of Benetton’ and ‘Sisley’ at Lima’s Jockey Plaza shopping center last
Monday.
The fashion items, which are supposed to make a big splash in Europe, were
mostly casual-wear with full, bright typical Peruvian colors, predominantly
orange, fuchsia, purple, green and yellow.
Most combinations were, including dress coats and chompas, were made with
Peruvian raw material known for its impressive quality, said world famous
designer Luciano Benetton who presented the parade.
“Peru will always be a source of inspiration for us. In this collection the
county of Peru is present in all our brands and styles through the raw materials
we used for our designs like cotton, wool, especially alpaca. We hope we can
soon include more Peruvian textile sources and styles”, he declared and assured
that Peru is on a world-wide level when it comes to fashion avant-garde.
“Peru does not have to envy the great fashion capitals in the world like Madrid,
Milan or Beijing because of its colors, tendencies and high-quality material
demonstrated in this beautiful parade of Saga Falabella”, he remarked.

Peruvian chullos and pomponesIt is not the first time that Luciano Benetton
visits Peru. He revealed that on two occasions he visited several towns in the
Peruvian Andean mountains searching for high-quality wools like alpaca and
vicuña to bring his designs to life.
The show also presented the new Sisley collection which included more formal
proposals like dresses for the evening with predominating pastel colors like
pink and turquoise, but also of course the ever popular black and red.
The show started off with a presentation of typical Peruvian dances and the
introduction of various personalities representing Peruvian culture. The
Peruvian models marched down the catwalk with hairstyles and accessories of
Peruvian origin, like chullos and pompones with the typical colors of Peru’s
sierras.
For this year, the Benetton group looks for an overall sales increase of six to
ten percent.
In Peru, 77 percent of the sales by the Benetton group belongs to the brand
“United Color of Benetton” and the rest belongs to the Sisley brand which was
just reintroduced to the Peruvian market last year.
 

Dateline - USA

Dateline - The Medical World

New Biosensors From The Blood Of Llamas

Dateline Shanghai, China:

     Aussie Alpacas a Chinese Fashion Hit

November 1, 2006 - 2:59PM
 

Australian-born Qiangqiang and Lili strutted calmly down the Shanghai catwalk.
Photo: AP

Two Australian-born alpacas and their creamy coloured fleece have proved major hits with Chinese fashionistas at Shanghai Fashion week.   Led by two handsome male models, Qiangqiang and Lili strutted calmly down the catwalk before a thrilled crowd and a mass of photographers at the first ever showcase of Australian fashion in Shanghai.The woolly pair were the star attractions in a parade of luxury items from the newly created Australian Alpaca Connections label.  In what was a fashion show with a twist, fine and softly coloured woollen blankets, throw rugs and quilts were draped, knotted or belted around models as skirts, tops and long trains trailed behind them.   The alpacas travelled 20 hours from a farm in China's northern Shanxi province, near Beijing, for the show, which also featured Australian fashions by Jayson Brunsdon, Alex Zabotto-Bentley's Fashionassasssin, High Tea with Mrs Woo and Ess Hoshika.

Australian Alpaca Fleece Ltd used the show, organised as the finale to Austrade's Celebrate Australia business promotion in Shanghai, to launch its homewears label amid a growing demand in China for finely woven alpaca products.  Managing director Michael Talbot said the company already had sealed a deal with a major upmarket department store chain in northern China, with a container load of stock already on its way from Australia.  The company has begun talks with several other department stores and expects to rake in about $1 million from exports to China in its first year.

"We're trying to pick the top end (of the consumer goods market) so the stores we are selling into are upmarket, like David Jones," Mr Talbot told AAP.  "Homewear is really growing here, like it is around the world, with people spending more money on their homes than themselves."  But the Chinese are very demanding so the quality has to be good."

The company, which represents 2,500 alpaca growers across Australia, already exports to Japan, Hong Kong and Korea, and expects about 70 per cent of its entire product line will be sold in foreign stores eventually.  Alpaca blankets which have price tags of about $200 in Australia can sell for up to $1,000 in upmarket Chinese department stores with wealthy customer bases.

The owner of the farm where Lili and Qiangqiang have lived for the past four years, Wang Ying, is also keen to work with the Australian alpaca growers to expand his flock of 100 so he too can make fine woollen homewear and knitwear.  "A lot of people visit the farm and want to buy the product but we only have the fleece," he said through an interpreter.

The Shanghai fashion week also got a glimpse of stylish alpaca knitwear from the latest collection by Melbourne-based designer Hoshika Oshimi, who owns the Ess Hoshika label.  Jayson Brunsdon also impressed the audience with his Angelica Huston-inspired line of glamorous sequinned dresses and tops featuring cute bows, while Fashionassassin and High Tea with Mrs Woo funked things up with their street wear lines.  Each of the Australian designers have made their first trip to China this week to try to seek out new buyers in the country's ever growing retail market.

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Fiber Notes from Lotusorganics.com

Dateline, Paarl, South Africa

Dateline, AMC, U.S.A.

INTO  AFRICA (article with photos which appeared in Alpacas Magazine)  Written By:  Sands Bellizzi

“Genius is an African who dreams up snow.”

Vladimir Nabokov from The Gift

Europeans had very little knowledge of the African continent prior to the 15^th Century.  In 1487,  Bartholomew Diaz became the first European to round the Cape of Good Hope, South Africa.  The Dutch then established a colony at the Cape in 1652, while the Boers (“farmers”) began establishing large farms in this fertile area.  The Boers also brought continental European winemaking to South Africa where they found a Mediterranean climate similar to the South of France with long sunshine hours, high humidity winters and no frost.    In the late 18^th century, European exploration of Africa was stimulated by scientific interest and a search for new trade markets.   Explorers, dreamers and visionaries such as Livingstone, Burton, Speke, Grant, Park, and Rhodes all made significant contributions to the development of the African Continent. 

 Prior to 1997, Dr. Gavin Lindhorst had no knowledge of alpacas and no dreams of alpaca ranching.  In fact, it was that year that he first saw an alpaca while on vacation in Peru - a faraway place from his beginnings.   Born in Cape Town, South Africa, Dr. Lindhorst qualified as a Dental Surgeon at Stellenbosch University, completed two years of National Service as a dentist, and ventured to London for postgraduate studies, to gain experience in general practice and to travel.  Ten years later, he returned to Cape Town and practiced for 5 years or so before being diagnosed with a rare neuromuscular disorder which forced  him to make the decision to discontinue his dental practice.

            After reading an article about Martin Kottman, a horse breeder turned alpaca breeder in Bavaria, and learning about the growing international alpaca industry, Gavin began a search of the Internet for information about alpacas to help him determine whether they would be a viable business for him to propose in South Africa.    Because of the similarity of climate to his South African homeland, he specifically targeted alpaca ranches in Western Australia and California.  He received long and complete emails in answer to his inquiries regarding topics ranging from adaptability of the species to the fiber industry.   Typical of the friendliness and helpfulness of alpaca breeders, his intense interest produced invitations to visit farms worldwide, including W. Australia, Victoria, the UK, Canada, USA, and Chile.  He traveled the globe and he learned.   He attended the 2000 AOBA Conference in Louisville, Kentucky.   As his knowledge of alpaca husbandry, fiber management and animals selection grew, so did his excitement about the potential of raising alpacas in his native country.  

            Now, in collaboration with Dr. Reinhold Lawrenz, a veterinarian and animal production consultant, Gavin has produced a purpose built breeding center, Groeneweide Farm, in Klapmuts, South Africa and in November, 2000, he successfully imported the first 60 alpacas to Africa.  Gavin’s starter herd arrived from Chile via an Air Malaysia’s Jumbo jet with passengers walking out one exit and alpacas being lowered out the other.  Two TV stations, 3 newspapers and the agricultural press were on hand to welcome this South American species to South Africa (lions, leopards, and alpacas, oh my!) before they began their 30-day immigration journey…. quarantine!    The alpacas made a long journey, and so did Gavin in order to realize his dream and his goals.

“Il faut d’abord durer,” a favorite expression of Ernest Hemingway which roughly translated is:  “first, one must endure,” might best describe the transition from dream to fruition.  Working with the Department of Agriculture and Livestock Improvement Association in South Africa, Gavin learned that only one alpaca had ever been imported to South Africa, to the Pretoria Zoo, but had subsequently died.  When he asked if he could import them, he was told that first a protocol must be established which was dependent in part to health status and other factors.  He was also told that the exporter’s quarantine station had to pass stringent scrutiny and this approval required a delegation being sent over to Chile to inspect their facility.  After that, he must reserve a suitable date in one of South Africa’s quarantine stations, fill out application forms, pay fees, and wait for permits…. twelve months’ worth of preparation.    No easy feat and perhaps, the dream of genius.

            The amount of research and preparation for this alpaca venture must have approached that which Livingstone went through prior to a  great expedition.  What is the best way to transport alpacas internationally?  Where does one find competent agents, freight insurers, airlines, and information on foreign airports’ regulations on livestock shipment, animal stress levels, and prices?  A litany of previously unanswered questions for importation of alpacas to Africa had to be answered.   Dr. Lindhorst also had determine which country would be the best choice for the purchase of his herd, within his perimeters of quality, pricing, ease of transportation and health status.  At home, in South Africa, came the questions regarding which land to purchase for his herd, negotiating the purchase, and then building the necessary infrastructure to properly accommodate his herd.  Building fences, shade awnings, pressurized water trough, pasture preparation, sourcing specialized equipment, and preparing a corporate identity utilizing stationery, signage and web site design, all became priority items to be accomplished.   Dr. Lindhorst was concerned about the protection of his newly developed industry in South Africa, so he founded the South African Alpaca Breeders Club that falls under the South Africa Stud Books and Livestock Improvement Association.  The Stud Books will act as a registry for all alpacas imported to and bred in South Africa with each animal being identified by microchip, ear tag, and pedigree.  Quoting Pleny, The Elder (23-79), a Roman naturalist, “There is always something new out of Africa.”   Now, there is something new “into Africa.”

            Often advertised as “The World in One Country,” South Africa measures approximately 950 miles by 640 miles, and is renown for its diversity.     The Western Cape, the new home to the African Alpacas, is reminiscent of the Napa Wine Country of California.    The Western Cape is bounded by the Atlantic Ocean on the West, the Indian Ocean on the South and the Northern and Eastern Cape to the North and East.   The primary city and the province’s capital, Cape Town with its majestic backdrop…Table Mountain, is thought by many to be one of the world’s most beautiful cities.   This province is also an important farming region and is a prominent area of wine production.   South Africa is the world’s seventh largest wine producer and its winemaking tradition goes back nearly 350 years.  

Now it is Gavin Lindhorst who is introducing a new industry, the alpaca industry, to South Africa in anticipation of establishing a long tradition of fine breeding and fiber production to the continent.   Previously, a typical greeting in this area was the sound of a wine bottle popping….maybe now there will be the added sound of gentle hums in the background.   The Karoo, the northern area of the province, is noted for its wool production and the ostrich farms around Oudtshoorn are a famous source of ostrich feathers.  South Africa also boosts 19 National Parks, including Kruger which is larger than the size of New England and known for the Big Five: lion, leopard, rhino, buffalo, and elephant….”Safari!”

            Gavin has honed his marketing and sales efforts by publicizing “the first” scenario, i.e. the first cria born in South Africa, the first shearing, a bottle fed cria photographed with Gavin’s Harlequin Great Dane as its protector, the first group sold and an interview with the purchaser.  This new alpaca industry is competing with an increasing game farming industry that might offer a greater and quicker return on investment.  Gavin remains, however, very confident that as more people see these gentle animals with their luxuriant fleeces, their demand will increase, much as it has in the USA, Australia and the world over.

            “A big thank you to all of those I have met on my journey to reach this goal,” Gavin has written to from South Africa.   “I have no regrets taking the plunge and meeting the challenges.  I have been stimulated by all the aspects of this new vocation, and somehow do not miss looking into dirty mouths too much!  The animals have also awakened certain emotions within me – a sense of giving to the lesser, a sense of well being and warmth within myself, a satisfaction and contentment by their responsiveness.  To fence sitters out there, you will not have to go through the same trials and tribulations to reach this goal, so go choose your herd and reap the benefits from alpacering!  (Editing note:  this is his term!)    Greetings and Cheers, Gavin”  More information and photos on African Alpacas can be seen at www.africanalpacas.com.

Fiber Notes from Organics.org