Frequently asked questions
How can I order a FIBR product?
At FIBR, we work with a pre-order system to avoid overstock (and waste). Our first pre-order campaign ran until March 14th 2021. Currently we're busy finishing the first batch of orders and no new order can be placed. Next pre-order is foreseen for summer '21.
Why should I care about transparency?
Transparency is a crucial step to fairness. It’s about knowing what happened to make a sweater and not putting your head in the sand. There can be no fairness without a radical transparency in the chain and income distribution. The FIBR sweater is unique. There is literally no alpaca wool value chain that’s Peruvian processed, industrially spun, fully transparent and fair. Discover more on the transparency page of this website.
Is baby alpaca really from a baby alpaca?
Nope! Baby alpaca is not shorn from baby alpacas, but from the finest wool of grown-up alpacas, which can usually be found in the neck of the animals.
Why are the products expensive?
The FIBR sweater is actually not expensive. In regular fashion industry, prices are actually too low, which may distort our frame of reference. Our closets are composed by 65% of synthetic fibres. The FIBR sweater is composed of 100% natural fibre, is made by knitters with a fair wage and above all a safe place - which is quite extraordinary for most of the people who made our clothes. And above all of this, this sweater is sourced from a cooperative of alpaqueros, striving for better incomes.
Is alpaca wool ecological?
Alpaca wool is an alternative to synthetic dominance (60% of our clothes are synthetic). The benefits of alpaca wool compared to other wool are: - Alpacas emit less greenhouse gases compared to sheep (Piñares-Patino et al (2003)); - Alpacas live in the highlands of the Peruvian Andes and do not compete with farmland (important as in Peru 38% of the population doesn’t consume enough calories) - Their soft-lined feet do not harm soil structure like the claw foot of other grazing species.
How do you know the animal or alpaca welfare is OK?
A certificate to prove alpaca welfare does not exist. All the FIBR alpaca fibre comes from small-scale farmers (owning around 100 alpacas). Animal welfare scandals generally come from bigger farms, where employees are pressured to work faster. Up to our experience, the alpaca farmers attach utmost importance to the welfare of their alpacas. However, what they can do to realise the best conditions for their animals generally depends a lot on their income. This is why improving income is key.
How did the FIBR story start?
Three of the FIBR co-founders quit their jobs in 2019 and left separately for some adventure in the Peruvian Andes. The same three ended up in Ayacucho and embarked on a mission with Solid Crafts to understand the alpaca supply chain. We travelled through the highlands to meet alpaqueros, processing plants, a cooperative and the biggest alpaca farm. This journey and research, with headquarters at the production unit of Solid Crafts in Ayacucho, led to the FIBR :-).
What to do in case of a a cross-border dispute