“Alpaca del Perú” boutique opens in China

In Beijing, China, the first multi-label store offering clothing and accessories under the Alpaca del Perú (Alpaca from Peru) brand and made from the fiber of this Andean animal recently opened its doors. The shop’s launch was made possible by support from the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism’s Foreign Trade Office (OCEX) in Beijing and the Peruvian Export and Tourism Promotion Board (PROMPERÚ).

This first boutique – in the city’s quintessential shopping district of Wangfujing – brings Peruvian-made alpaca clothing and accessories to affluent Chinese consumers. The activity is part of the industry’s plan to go global as it looks to 2018.

The Chinese company World Link participated in this project, which marks a historic step in the inroads made by Peruvian clothing into the Asian market. The six companies that sell their apparel at the boutique were chosen after participating in Perú Moda 2017. They are: Anntarah, Kero Design, Kuna, Sol Alpaca, Pórtico and Sumy Kujón.

In November, Peru’s Minister of Foreign Trade and Tourism, Eduardo Ferreyros Küppers, traveled to China’s capital to lead the store’s opening ceremony. He also met with executives from World Link and the Wangfujing shopping district, paving the way for collaboration between these Chinese organizations.

Before the store’s grand opening, World Link was given authorization to use the Alpaca del Perú label. Peru’s ambassador to China, Juan Capuñay, attended the grand opening, as did representatives from 20 Chinese shopping centers, import companies, acclaimed designers and industry experts, as well as Chinese fashion journalists.

PROMPERÚ teamed up with the private sector to create Alpaca del Perú, a sector-specific brand that aims to put this emblematic product on the global map.

This partnership has included collaborations with luxury brands like Max Mara, as well as advertising through various commercial channels in countries like Italy, France, United States, England, Japan and Germany, among others.

IN FIGURES

Peru is home to 90% of the world’s alpacas and each year produces 7000 tons of fleece that is prized by the international market. Many labels use Peruvian alpaca fiber, such as Loro Piana from LV, Muji, Prada, Max Mara, Uniqlo and Zara.

In the first eight months of this year, Peru exported US$127 million worth of alpaca textiles and clothing, a 27% increase over the same period last year.

These products are exported to 64 different countries. Major markets include: China, United States, Italy, Norway and the United Kingdom. In this period alone, exports to China, Italy and the United States were up 189.7%, 24.6% and 0.4%, respectively.

The Chinese luxury fiber clothing market is valued at US$482 million.

There are only 3 million alpacas in the entire world, so their fleece is more valuable than sheep’s wool. The apparel’s target buyers are well-off 30- to 50-year-olds who see alpaca fiber products as a status symbol.