Farm to Fashion: Suri Alpaca With Spiral Patternmaking

This is the first garment made from 80% Suri Alpaca, grown in the US and carded, spun, and woven in northern Italy. Its sustainable characteristics are that it is entirely biodegradable, composed of only natural materials in natural colors with no dyes or finishes. Of the two breeds of Alpaca, Suri is less common and has longer more lustrous fibers than huacaya, and when currently used for textiles is rarely seen as a woven apparel fabric. The design criteria were to make a runway ensemble within the luxury price point, that has some transformable element to encourage extended use, reflects a thoughtful design process grounded in the fabric itself, includes only natural colors and components, and integrates the Suri Alpaca locks (freshly sheared fibers) in some way. The garment looks complex, yet the patterns, draped in a spiral shape, are quite simple with minimal seaming.