OUR SUPPLY CHAIN
At Arms of Andes we SINGLE SOURCE our products.
This means we carry out every stage of production - from sourcing our fleece and yarn, to manufacturing the fabric and the garments - in one country: PERU. We keep our supply chain as short as possible to ensure traceability of our products and reduce our overall carbon footprint.
THE STAGES OF PRODUCTION IN PERU
Fleece Production
Small scale farmers - usually individual families - shear their alpacas in the highland areas of Southern Peru. Women sort the fibre into different qualities by touch.
Yarn Production
The fleece is taken overland to sustainable processing plants, where it is washed with biodegradable detergent and water heated by solar panels. The washed wool is processed into "wool tops", then spun into yarn.
Fabric Production
From southern Peru, the yarn is taken overland to Lima on the central coast, where it is knitted into our unique fabrics.
Garment Production
The fabric is cut into shapes and then is stitched together to form the final garments.
Distribution
Garments are then shipped by air to our distribution centres in Los Angeles and Amsterdam. When you place your order, your clothes are shipped to you from the nearest distribution centre.
Colouring Your Clothes
Depending on the type of dye - natural or synthetic - they are added at different stages of the manufacturing process:
- Synthetic dyes (black, navy and lilac) are added at the wool top stage, so we use pre-coloured yarn to create the fabrics.
- Natural dyes (indigo, cochineal, eucalyptus and molle) are added to the finished garments, which are sent to artisanal dyeing workshops where they are hand-dyed in small batches.
Short supply chains and a focus on sustainable production, mean that we can keep our transportation carbon footprint low and ensure traceability of our products.