The Parisian brand Leon & Harper launched its new Peruvian Alpaca collection on October 18. The items released for the 2017/2018 Autumn-Winter season use Peruvian thread and natural dyes.
Its main distinction is the “Peruvian Alpaca” label on each garment, an honor given by the Peruvian government to a group of sustainable brands like Leon & Harper.
The inspiration for the collection’s sweaters came from a trip taken in 2016 by Argelia Jiménez, a designer with Mexican roots on the brand’s creative team. The designs evoke Andean landscapes through their blue, green, beige, gray and off-white tones.
“At Leon & Harper, we have always sought out originality, quality and authentic “savoir faire”. Discovering a product as high-quality as alpaca can lead to a twist and become part of the dress code of the most chic Parisians. The influence of Peru is strong in the collection, but it also captures the spirit of Boulevard Haussmann style, and the lifestyle of the women who wear Leon & Harper: elegant, casual, modern and metropolitan,” said Jiménez.
The collection was so warmly embraced by fashion circles that Vogue Paris chose one of the sweaters as a seasonal “must” for the winter wardrobe. It has enjoyed equal success among the most prominent bloggers on social media, and publications like Baco Luxury and La Parisienne ran articles on the noteworthy collaboration between Leon & Harper and Peruvian alpaca.
On this subject, Jiménez mused: “What was most satisfying to us was being able to strike a balance between our customers’ demanding urban lifestyle (primarily professional young women in Paris) and the 3000-year-old culture, history and values of Peru. The design is inspired by ancient Peru but made for women fully immersed in fashion and modernity.”
The creation and success of this alpaca collection by Leon & Harper was made possible by close collaboration between the Peruvian Trade Office in France and the Peruvian Trade Office in Italy.
About Leon & Harper
Created in Paris in 2010 by Philippe Corbin, Leon & Harper draws its inspiration from free-spirited women. Its look manages to do away with gender limitations by being nonchalantly chic.
The first Leon & Harper shop opened in April 2013 at 95 Boulevard Beaumarchais. Today, there are five Leon & Harper boutiques in Paris, each designed and decorated with a strong identity.