Vigogne, a fragile luxury<

And a parade, and two, and three… last January, during the presentation of the male collections for this fall-winter 2014-2015, several artistic directors of large houses did not dry up praise on vigogne."I was inspired by a magnificent region, the highlands of the Andes, a natural habitat of Vigogne," explained Kim Jones at Louis Vuitton.The fabrics taken from this wool combine refinement and functionality.Not only does its rarity add a sophisticated character but its thermal qualities make it ultra -comfortable.So we worked in double-sided woolen with hand finishes for oversized coats and pajamas intended for the most elegant and most demanding travelers.»»»»

Equally chic and subtle use at Berluti, Alessandro Sartori has imagined large coats like covers in which we are dragging ourselves to brave winter.Through the Ermenegildo Zegna Couture line, Stefano Pilati also celebrates this fiber, a specialty of the house spinning workshops.He composed six unstructured silhouettes, between Sportswear and Homewear, which uses it for parkas, duffle-coats and ponchos, being careful how this wool is precious.

A species that has come close to extinction

This return of vigogne is part of a wider current of quest for rarity and exceptional which guides the collections of many classic houses already high -end.A trend that can scare experts in this material whose biennial harvest is highly regulated. «Il ne faudrait pas que tous les stylistes la mettent en collection»»»», prévient Pier Luigi Loro Piana, le vice-président de la maison du même nom qui est, avec son concitoyen Ermenegildo Zegna, un des deux grands tisseurs au monde de cette fibre.And to explain: "The quantities available are significantly lower than those of cashmere which are already without comparison with those of wool.If the request suddenly became too high, the price of the raw material would blaze, the exchanges would deregulate and it would take years before finding normal prices which ensure the breeders of regular income.»»»»

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Vigogne has always experienced ups and downs.At the time of the Incas, it was a gift from the gods, a sacred species only acclimatized in this mountain range.Then, she was threatened at the time of the conquistadors and, more recently, she failed to disappear forever.Forty years ago, there were only 5000 heads all in all of South America, in particular due to a certain weariness of local professionals, dependent on fluctuations in contemporary fashion and the reversals of stylists of a yearon the other.

In 1976, this disturbing perspective was even recognized by the Convention on International Trade in Species of Wild flora and flora threatened with extinction.From then on, his business is stopped.Backup actions are carried out in the field.The Peruvian government also seeks to raise awareness among European professionals.In 1994, the wools Agnona, Loro Piana and Ermenegildo Zegna - competitors in wool and cashmere - created the international vicuna consortium together in order to come to the aid of Peruvian craftsmanship.And thus be able to market fiber under regulated conditions.

In 2002, his business was released.In the meantime, everyone has strengthened their links with producers and invested in the acquisition of altitude reserves.Liberty herds are listed, supervised, observed, regulated and cared for by specialized teams.The vegetation being very rare at this altitude, there is one hectare per head so that any animal grazes its hunger.After a few winters, the decline manages to be stopped.Nature takes over.The herds increase.Over the past ten years, their number has finally passed from single to double.

Exceptional quality

"In textiles, investments are always long, expensive and without much guarantee in the end, but we must not be concerned only with figures.In Loro Piana, we perpetuate a tradition in noble fibers, from generation to generation. En parallèle, nous sommes constamment à la recherche de qualités toujours plus exceptionnelles»»»», rappelait, en mai 2013 à Rome, Pier Luigi Loro Piana, lors de la présentation d'une nouvelle vigogne d'une couleur beaucoup plus claire.Originally from Argentina and not from Peru, it has a fleece with much longer, fine and soft fibers.But in significantly lower quantities than the 250 to 400 grams usual.In this context, Loro Piana has established an exclusive partnership with Argentinian breeders in order to support the growth of this even rarer species.

The first articles were to be marketed from this fall.Finally, their edition is adjourned due to lean harvests which do not yet allow to launch a real production.Fashionable or not, the animal only knows the rhythm of nature.