Indigenous and Farming Communities

High in the Andean mountains, at 6,000 meters above sea level, live the descendants of the Inca Empire. For centuries, they have been the true custodians of the Vicuna, an endangered species that survives today in large part because of their devotion and knowledge. Through the ancient Chaku tradition, these communities gather the Vicuna, shear its extraordinary fiber with great care, and release the animal unharmed. This is not simply a sourcing method. It is a sacred practice. A living act of conservation passed down from the time of the Inca Empire itself.

An indigenous custodian at 6,000 meters above sea level.

For centuries, these communities have remained unseen behind the global fashion industry, despite their profound contribution to it.

‘We do not extract. We invest. We do not take. We protect.’

We invest directly in their lives. Fair compensation that reaches the farmer, not an intermediary. Dignified work. Access to education. And a genuine share in the commercial value that their heritage makes possible.

Once a year, the indigenous communities of the Andes gather to perform the Chaku, a ceremony older than recorded history. The Vicuña is gathered gently, shorn with great care, and released unharmed back into the highlands it calls home. No animal is harmed. No tradition is broken. What remains is the finest natural fiber on earth and the knowledge that it was taken with respect.

The Sacred Harvest