Alpacas Magazine - 2012 Autumn

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20 | ALPACAS MAGAZINE
After a spell living and work-
ing in the U.S. in the 1990s,
an enterprising Peruvian, Angel
Cabrera, saw an opportunity to
import alpaca textile garments
manufactured in his native city
of Arequipa in Peru and retail
them in the American market.
Having had an interest in textile
design and production techniques
from an early age, Angel returned
to Peru to set-up production
facilities and a small showroom
in Arequipa’s city centre. This
was in 1998, and the business
was named Cabrera & Co.
Guided and supported by his
mother and brother, Jose, Angel
set about ensuring that the
dream was turned into reality
by focusing on establishing a
fibre and yarn supply chain
that provided the highest quality
of alpaca.
“Without the very best raw
material at the start of the
manufacturing process it is
impossible to improve things
later on,” he asserted.
Angel explained how the company’s
production philosophy was conceived.
“We commenced our operations in the
Sachaca district of Arequipa with a weav-
ing base where we purchased yarns from
the local spinning mills and converted
them into top-quality cloth. We decided
early on that we would outsource our knit-
ted products, as we had strong contacts
within Arequipa’s industrial knitting sector
and established hand knitters in Puno.”
“Our goal was, and still is, to establish
our place in Arequipa’s textile indus-
try. We have gravitated to a level that is
somewhere under the city’s large produc-
ers and above the very small entrepreneur.
Our medium-sized advantage is to be able
to source a wide range of yarns from the
big spinners and to employ some of the
services of small manufacturers whilst
operating from an established production
plant of our own.”
The high regard that the American
consumer holds for alpaca made the U.S.
the obvious place to launch the compa-
ny’s products. During its first decade, the
business grew by offering a broad alpaca
collection which, in 2007, was given a
single identity under the brand name,
Everything Alpaca
com). Today, the collection consists of the
following quality lines:
Luxury Apparel: custom-designed fine
women’s and men’s clothing, knitwear
and accessories manufactured in Arequipa
with bespoke tailoring services in Chicago.
Textiles and Yarns: a stock serv-
ice for independent designers and
tailors of alpaca yarns and fabrics
in Royal Baby Alpaca, Baby
Alpaca, Superfine Alpaca and
blends with fine wool and silk.
Interior Design Services: a
selection of rugs and carpets that
can be made to specification,
available for interior decorators,
architects and retail customers.
Traditional Peruvian Apparel:
traditional and ethnical Andean-
inspired apparel and accessories
made with alpaca, wool and
blends for wholesale distributors.
From its commercial base and
showroom on the Magnificent
Mile in Chicago, Everything
Alpaca has steadily spread its
product into neighbouring
Canada and, more recently,
expanded further afield into
Germany, Denmark and Australia.
The company cites new free
trade agreements between Peru
and the U.S. and the European Union as
very influential in enabling it to develop
new markets, and has plans in place to
target growing markets in South America,
starting with Chile.
The majority of the company’s custom-
ers are small- to medium-sized boutiques.
A future commercial strategy under con-
sideration is to open a chain of Everything
Alpaca shops in the U.S. and, later, in
other countries.
The company also participates in textile
trade shows throughout the year. It has
staged fashion shows featuring its collec-
tions for invited buyers in Chicago, New
York and Toronto.
The growth in world sales for its
products has highlighted the need for the
company to expand its operating base
Everything Alpaca’s Tale of Two Cities
BY FRANCIS RAINSFORD
INTERNATIONAL Industry News
Photocourtesyoftheauthor
Angel Cabrera with one
of Everything Alpaca’s
woven scarves in
baby alpaca.