Why Vicuna wool so expensive?

Talking about Kiton, one of its core value is their high-profile creations made of wool woven from the hair of the very rare and expensive Vicuña camel. Not only used for cardigan and sweater from Vicuña wool, Kiton has experimented to create cotton, silk or khaki blends with superior softness, lightness and breathability.

Len Vicuña - "Silk of God"

Vicuña wool is created from the hair of Vicuña, a llamas that live at an altitude of 3,200-4,800 in the Andes of South America. The feature of this wool is soft and has high elasticity, so it is likened to "God's silk". For a long time, the process of weaving cloth from the hair of the Vicuña camel was passed down through generations in the Inca royalty reign. However, because it could not be kept in captivity, when the aristocracy began to take notice, the animal with this special fur was hunted to the point of extinction in the 1960s.

Inner construction lining of a Kiton jacket

Since then, the government has enacted several stringent regulations to reduce the risk of poaching; Adult Vicuñas will be clipped while alive very carefully without causing any harm, then must be released back into the wild. This process ensures that each Vicuñas can provide fur for a lifetime. The average Vicuñas give no more than 500g of finished wool per shear, and it usually takes up to 35 to provide enough wool to produce a shirt.

The pioneer of protecting Vicuña camel campaign is the Italian luxury fabric brand – Loro Piana. They have been working with the Peruvian government and Andes communities since 1994 to restore the Vicuña habitat. They also controls most of the global supply of Vicuña wool. In 2008, the company purchased nearly 5,000 acres of land in the Peruvian Andes to develop a sanctuary where these animals can be safely observed, studied and furred.

Vicuna wool is the core value of Kiton
Therefore, it is not surprising that Loro Piana has become the manufacturer of the best costumes and accessories made from Vicuña wool. Wool made from Vicuña camel hair is usually dark in color, hardly reacts to chemical dyes, so it retains its natural color, thereby creating uniqueness and enhancing the value of the item. Moreover, Loro Piana also invests in a high-tech processing system that helps the wool resist wind and water damage, ensuring comfort for the wearer even in harsh weather conditions.

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