Quality Inside and Out

Much of what makes LANART’s Alpaca bears such a distinctive high quality is what you can’t see. LANART believes it makes the best Alpaca bear anywhere because of:

To underscore this, we were recently recognized by the Peruvian government for our Alpaca bears and friends. We were awarded by receiving the Best Practices in Manufacturing and Marketing (BPMM). Moreover, we are the only company to pass this rigorous certification for bear manufacturing – each stage of manufacturing was monitored from pelt selection to finished production.

LANART designed and constructed a facility especially suited for Alpaca bear manufacturing as well as other lines that have been developed. Our site eased the process from pelt selection to tanning, beginning cutting and sewing stages, to stuffing, and final back stitching procedures.

Today, customers often visit the site in Arequipa, Peru to find out how our Alpaca bear is made from scratch, and to meet the LANART team of artists that create and finish the bears with each having its own unique expression and personality.

While the company has experienced growth and change, the Classic Alpaca Bear remains constant. Each includes a customized countenance defined by the trimming of the eyes, sewing of the nose, and unique composition of the fur.

LANART believes it makes the best Alpaca bear anywhere because every bear is lovingly designed, cut, sewn,stuffed, and stitched. The bears and friends are alive with personality and attitude and they help people connect in a fun, personal and meaningful way.

In 1979, Angelo Ponce was playing with his daughter, Dianita and saw the potential of combining the luxurious Alpaca fur and her love of teddy bears. Surprised to see that all of her teddy bears were made of synthetic fiber, Ponce was inspired to bring a favorite American tradition to a classic fiber of his Latin roots by handcrafting bears made from Alpaca. A studied sculptor, he created the first bear as a soft sculpture. “Junior” was born from his artistic eye and love for his daughter.

In 1985, LANART branched out and enriched its Alpaca bear collection with a line of Alpaca “friends”. New designs opened doors and became the creative spark of our business.

Angelo had been working with Alpaca and travelling to Peru to work with cottage industries to reproduce “Junior” and develop his new line of luxury Alpaca Bears. He realized the need to control all aspects of production due to variation in pelts, processing chemicals used, and skill differences. The concept of supervising every step of the process was born. LANART was determined to ensure quality and safety control.

This care and craftsmanship may not initially be apparent, can be found throughout all the products that LANART makes. We encourage you to look at our other fine quality Alpaca products.

ABOUT US

LAИART is committed to providing you with the finest quality Alpaca Products. Our vision is to show people the beautiful luxury and diverse offerings of Alpaca fiber on contemporary distinctive styles.

LAИART offers a wide variety of distinctive Alpaca products that include: women's, men's and children's apparel, accessories, collectible plush animals, and home décor. LAИART is headquartered in Huntersville, North Carolina about 15 minutes outside of Charlotte. These products are Hand Crafted by specially trained artisans working in LAИART's Peruvian operations located in Lima, Arequipa, and Puno.

Since its inception, LAИART has steadily gained a reputation for quality and integrity – traits that are paramount in the Alpaca industry – and a priority to us. These traits are backed by Angelo who has been personally involved in various aspects of the Alpaca industry for over twenty five years – ranging from procurement and processing to retail and cooperatives. Angelo communicates this experience to the committed members of the LAИART team and utilizes the same experience in building genuine relationships with his customers. Furthermore, Angelo's industry knowledge has allowed solid business partnerships to be forged with customers to mutually expose more people to the beautiful luxury and diverse offerings of Alpaca fiber. Consequently, LAИART prides itself on obtaining the majority of its business through referral.

OUR HISTORY

LAИART was founded by Angelo Ponce in Orange County, California in 1979. Originally from Latin America, Angelo has been doing business in Peru and the U.S. since his company's humble beginnings designing and distributing artistic alpaca rugs. Angelo's goal, which he has successfully translated into LAИART's core philosophy, has been to show the world the beautiful luxury and diverse offerings of Alpaca fiber in distinctive contemporary styles while encouraging the artistic traditions of the native people of Peru. As the popularity of alpaca as a product grew, Angelo utilized his artistic background to design a wide variety of distinctive Alpaca products that include: Women, Men, and Children's attire, Accessories, Bears & Friends, and Home Décor.

LAИART initially expanded into unique handcrafted teddy bears – now known world wide as his signature line of Classic Alpaca Bears and Friends. Made of the finest quality baby Alpaca, these bears have been an instant hit with adults and children alike. The first bear was crafted in 1987, based on a design he originally created for his daughter, Dianita. From the outset, Angelo set out to make something unique, special, distinctive...something worthy of being his daughter's most prized possession. This passion has been carried throughout the development of the Classic Alpaca Bears line, and into each product line that has followed. Since its inception, LAИART has steadily gained a reputation for quality and integrity – traits that are paramount in the Alpaca industry – and a priority to us. These traits are backed by Angelo who has been personally involved in various aspects of the Alpaca industry for over twenty – five years – ranging from procurement and processing to retail and cooperatives.

Angelo communicates this experience to the committed members of the LAИART team and utilizes that same experience in building genuine relationships with his customers. Furthermore, Angelo's industry knowledge has allowed solid business partnerships to be forged with customers to mutually expose more people to the beautiful luxury and diverse offerings of Alpaca fiber. Consequently, LAИART prides itself on obtaining the majority of its business through referral. For Angelo, the creative process is constantly changing; but it is a welcomed challenge as he continues to find new ways to express himself via the wonderful fiber of Alpaca.

QUALITY HAND CRAFTING

Each product sold through LAИART or one of its affiliates must go through a rigorous process. Quality Alpaca products require diligent consideration through procuring raw materials, processing those materials, crafting and refining products for sale, and distribution.

The LAИART commitment to quality and craftsmanship begins with procuring the finest alpaca pelts from Peruvian vendors - something which cannot be done when simply buying in bulk or not being personally represented and intimately involved with the Peruvian market process. Angelo, or a LAИART representative, personally handpicks only the best baby alpaca pelts to make the softest material possible for the Alpaca Woolly Bears and related soft sculptured stuffed animals. These pelts come from crias (newborn alpacas) who die of natural causes so none are killed. The farmers then preserve the pelts to be sold in the local markets each spring. In the Altiplano - the highlands of Peru and Bolivia where most of the alpacas are raised - natural environmental conditions are so harsh that many crias are lost every year. (For greater detail, please refer to the Social & Ecological Responsibility section)

Additionally, LAИART is honored to work with Grupo Inca, a local fiber cooperative, in obtaining the finest quality baby Alpaca yarns to make luxurious sweaters, jackets, and related garments. LAИART is pleased to offer yarn including the finest (in quality microns) fiber of Royal Baby Alpaca, Baby Alpaca, and Super Fine Alpaca.

Angelo's Alpaca Woolly Bears and related soft sculptured stuffed animals are distinctive because he uses his own innovative tanning process at his tannery in Peru. This process is kept so secret, that this is all I am able to write about it.

These raw materials are then transformed into the beautiful product offerings of LAИART. This is done in Arequipa, Peru by LAИART's native Peruvian artisans - descendants of the Incan people of the Andean highlands. These local artisans utilize the time-held traditions of the Quechua people to translate ancient Incan traditions into modern and distinct crafts. The difficult quality control step of cultivating "best practices" into the creation of LAИART products has been a direct result of establishing a long-time working relationship with these native artisans. Accordingly, quality control has been achieved through precise communication in native Quechua and Spanish onsite coaching. These efforts have resulted in a breakthrough combination of quality processes and artistic distinction. One such quality standard that goes above and beyond what you will be able to find from imitation Alpaca Woolly Bears - is the crafting of our products in compliance with U.S. standards for child safety as outlined by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). For example, the noses and/or eyes of our bears won't easily slip off and become a choking hazard. Numerous other aspects of our crafting and sewing processes ensure that our products are THE BEST available. Expect that sizes are proximal and minor variations will occur due to each artisan's style - but this adherence to craftsmanship also ensures each premium quality piece is distinctive and a reflection of the enchanted land of the Incas.

ALPACA FIBER

The Alpaca, whose scientific name is lama pacos, is the most numerous of the four South American camelid species. With a population of 3.5 million in Peru, representing 75% of the world's total population, the Alpaca provides the main means of sustenance for thousands of families in the high Andes. The Alpaca is usually 3‚ 9" to 4‚ 9" in height, and weighs between 99 to 174 pounds. It has a smaller and more curved profile than the llama and has a distinguishing fringe of hair on its forehead. At elevations of more than 1312 feet above sea level among impressive landscapes where daily temperature ranges can be as much as 86 degrees, thousands of rural families raise flocks of Alpacas, as has been done for thousands of years, shearing the animals and selling their fiber every year, to provide those families with their principal income. There are two varieties of the Alpaca: the Huacayo and the Suri. The Huacayo is the more numerous type in Per, representing 93% of the population, and has relatively short fiber which is dense, curly and voluminous

The hair covers almost all the body, only the face and lower parts of the legs having a covering of short fibers. The Suri has long, straight hair which is silky and exceptionally lustrous. Alpacas are shorn with knives or shears, usually once a year between November and April. The yield per animal is variable, but a general average is about five pounds. There are specimens, however, which can yield fleeces weighing up to 15 pounds.

The color of the fiber is variable, up to 22 colors having been defined, but is more uniform than that of the llama. Alpaca colors range from white to black through grays, fawns and browns. This characteristic is not to be found among other natural fibers, the "noble" fibers, used in textile production. The fiber is classified manually according to its fineness and sorted into qualities such as Royal Alpaca (less than 19 microns), Baby Alpaca (22.5 microns), Super Fine Alpaca (25.5 microns), Huarizo (29 microns), Coarse (32 microns) and Mixed Pieces (short fibers generally coarser than 32 microns). The names of these qualities do not necessarily reflect the age of the animals or other phenotypic characteristics.

The appellation "Baby", for example, is applied to products (tops, yarns, cloth, etc.) where the average fiber diameter is 22.5 microns. The fiber used to obtain this quality does not necessarily come from baby animals; it could easily come from an adult animal with a very fine coat. Each quality is employed to create different products such as cloth, scarves, sweaters, blankets, rugs and so on. The Alpaca may also be blended with other fibers, generally of natural origin. Alpaca fibers are extraordinarily tough and strong, even in the finest qualities, thus making it ideal for industrial processing. It is furthermore easily dyed to any color and always retains its natural luster. It is also possible to process Alpaca on the woolen or worsted systems, so that it can be used to produce a range of cloths from coarse tweeds to fine gabardine. Alpaca fiber does not easily break, fray, stain or accumulate charges of static electricity; it is easy to launder. Alpaca provides a relatively high yield of fiber after processing (between 87% and 95% compared with 43% to 76% for sheep's wool). Furthermore, it is easy and economical to process owing to the lack of grease or lanolin in the fiber and, unlike cashmere, does not need to be de-haired.

Some of the factors which affect the value of Alpaca are:

Fineness:

This is a genetic hereditary factor. The finer the fiber, the higher the price.

Color:

White fiber commands a higher price from industrial concerns as it may be dyed to any color, including pastel shades. However, craftsmen give a greater value to fiber of certain natural colors.

Fiberlength:

The decision of whether to process the Alpaca on the woolen system or the worsted system depends on the fiber length.

Production:

The weight and degree of cleanliness of the fleeces are important.

Impurities in the fiber:

Greater prices are commanded by cleaner fiber.

Nutritional considerations:

Nutrition of the animal affects growth and fineness of the fiber.

The following are some of the textile properties of Alpaca:

Non-flammability:

The fiber will not burn unless in direct contact with a flame.

Elasticity and strength:

Alpaca fibers have relatively high elasticity and strength, comparable with those of sheep's wool and other animal fibers.

Hygroscopic properties:

Absorption of ambient humidity is relatively low. Thermal properties: The structure of the Alpaca fiber makes it an efficient thermal insulator, useful in different climatic conditions.

Felting:

Alpaca does not felt as readily as sheep's wool or other animal fibers.

Handle:

The Alpaca fiber has a structure which gives it a very soft handle, comparable with that of a grade of sheep's wool three or four microns finer.

Visual texture:

Especially for overcoats, Alpaca cloth exhibits an excellent drape, appearance, natural luster and handle; it maintains its new appearance for a very long time. For further information: http://www.grupoinca.com/e/main.html

FAIR TRADE COMMITMENT

At LAИART, we take great care to ensure ecological, animal friendly, and socially responsible practices are utilized in the crafting of our quality Alpaca products. Our fiber and pelts come from trusted quality sources in the local peasant community surrounding our Peruvian operations, we reinvest in these communities, we only employ native families, and we promote the utilization of their traditional Quechua practices as a viable means to a living wage.

One such example is that in 1988 Angelo broadened his product offerings and began selling alpaca garments. During a buying trip in the Altiplano, he was approached by a group of women calling themselves "Grupo de Madres" (mothers club); a group of very talented and industrious women who make hand-knit and crocheted Alpaca garments from their homes. Being able to work from home enables them to care for their households while they create products - practicing techniques handed down from generation to generation. Angelo wanted to help the Grupo de Madres keep the tradition of knitting that had been passed down through countless generations from dying out. LAИART now works with eight different groups consisting of 24 women each. The women utilize LAИART's designs, while using the best quality Alpaca yarn provided by Angelo through Grupo Inca, whom he represents here in the United States.

Naturally, word has gotten around about how helpful and kind Angelo is to the local people. Consequently, he is now approached by new artisans offering a myriad of unusual Alpaca items each time he visits Peru. Additionally, LAИART strives to adhere to ecologically friendly processes in its operations in Peru as well as the U.S.; always seeking to have a smaller ecological footprint. For instance, all the chemicals used in LAИART's unique tanning process are environmentally friendly - including the dyes. As a matter of fact, even LAИART's raw material procurement utilizes the natural ecological cycle of life in the Andes. Our hand selected baby Alpaca pelts for our soft sculptured stuffed animals come from crias (baby alpacas) who die of natural causes - none are killed. In the Altiplano highlands of Peru and Bolivia where most of the Alpacas are raised, natural conditions are so harsh that many crias are lost every year, which ensures this steady supply of pelts.

Our magnificent Candy Colors coincide with our environmental principles; we use a superior method of dying our Alpaca to make the smallest ecological footprint possible.
We hand dye our yarns with the utmost care. The properties include varied textures and brilliant colors that do not fade after laundering or being worn in the sun. Our designs capture the essence of indigenous art while simultaneously being completely non-traditional and super high quality. We combine these assets with the natural beauty in the products we have created. Our continual innovation is one of the things that distinguish us in the Alpaca industry. LAИART thanks Candy for sharing her splendid expertise and valuable time with our Arequipa team.