achiy

In Peru, indigenous peoples are still closely connected to nature. The Kinsaccocha community in Paru Paru, Cusco consists of 10 families living at 4010m altitude in the Andes. Ruben and Carmen come from two of these families who, together with their families, make knitwear from alpaca wool - by hand with traditional knitting machines.

"My wish is to grow. Hand-in-hand. So that the traditional textile art remains alive. Actually the dream is not a dream at all.It is a reality, because I produce textiles together with my family and my community".  Explains Rubén Caryamarca, owner and production manager of Achiy's family workshop.

The village elders Cecilio Quispe and Kinsacoccha

Achiy uses only alpaca wool. The baby alpaca wool comes directly from the Andes.Alpacas can only be shorn once a year, therefore the wool is very valuable and is also called the "fleece of the gods" - also because of its indescribable softness and of course because it keeps you extremely warm.

A herd of alpacas in the Andes

Sustainability is close to Achiy's heart: production takes place directly on site in the Andes, where the raw material comes from. Instead of chemical colouring, natural colouring agents such as beetroot are used or flowers from the Andes. The yarn is certified with OEKO-TEX 100, Organic Content Standard and Global Organic Textile Standard. Employees are paid fairly and for every piece sold, €5 is donated to the Kinsaccocha community.

Working on the knitting machine and on delicate intarsia

The transport to Europe is neutralised by means of climate protection projects. Once in Hamburg, the items are shipped with recycled shipping bags from RePack. For each return from a RePack, the brand donates another €2 to the community.

Alchiy wants to keep tradition alive. For the label it is not only about fashion. It is about people, their lives and their stories.

DISCOVER OUR SELECTION OF ACHIY - ALPACA, SUSTAINABLE BY TRADITION