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Vicuna is made from the vicuna llama , a rare and protected animal, the smallest of the camel-like species, which lives in herds in the Andes of Peru at an altitude of 5000 mtrs.

It is the finest and rarest natural fibre with a fineness of 10 to 13 micron (µ) and a length of 20 to 25 mm.

Vicuña is the nec plus ultra of woollen fabrics and is four times more expensive than cashmere. This is due to its rarity and its luxurious characteristics.

The Spanish Conquistadors saw the potential profits of trading in this most precious of wools, and hunted the vicuña relentlessly to the point that by 1825, it was as good as extinct and since then has been an officially protected species.

The wool from the vicuña has always been a rare and expensive commodity. Ten thousand years ago, at the time of the Incas, wearing clothes made from vicuña wool was a privilege reserved only for the Inca leader. And vicuña was also referred to as “ the fabric of the gods ”.

>> See all fabrics pictures in the Fabrics Catalogue