Golden Fleece

Vigon,

a species of South American herbivorous cloven-hoofed mammal, the smallest representative of the camel family (Camelidae), the protoplast of the alpaca, closely related to the llama. Lives in small family groups,on the slopes of the Andes Mountains. This much we can read on Wikipedia. What makes these animals so unusual? To answer this question we need to carefully trace their history.

Photo. Vigonos herded into an enclosure for Grand Chaccu ritual shearing. | Source: taylorllamas.com

Pizarro the medieval Jason?

During the Age of Great Geographic Discovery, Francisco Pizarro reached the coast of South America and propped up the Inca kingdom. Thanks to him, in addition to riches, the skins of the vicuna also came to Europe. From then until the 1960s, a predatory policy of fur harvesting almost led to the extinction of the species (the population was reduced to 6,000 individuals). Thanks to government intervention, the animal has been placed on the endangered species list. The measures taken resulted in stabilization of the situation and allowed the population to recover to about 350,000 individuals in just 15 years. However, the price of vicuna wool has not dropped. Special standards allow the same animal to be shaved once every three years. Only about 400 grams of raw material needed for yarn production can be obtained from each adult specimen. Shaving takes place once a year and is done as a ritual. Animals are herded into specially prepared pens and then released back into the wild. The process is long and arduous, and the altitude at which wigonos live (about 4,000 meters n.p.m.) does not make the task any easier. I think everyone will agree that the vicuna, is the golden fleece of today's times.

Vigon and contemporary tailoring

Prices of vicuña range from €1,600 to as much as €6,000 per meter. It all depends on the weight of the material. The most expensive fabrics are those for winter coats. By comparison, prices for very good quality wool range from €50 to €150 per meter. Vigonia wool is characterized primarily by its excellent thermal properties and extremely fine pile with a thickness of only 12 micrometers, which does not deteriorate during chemical treatment. Thus, the yarn can be used to create a fabric of virtually any color and pattern.

Photo. Comparison of hair thickness in microns. | Source: Tumblr.com

The price and the limited amount of fabric available in the world makes it entrusted only to the best tailors' workshops. The customer must place great trust in the tailor. It is also worth remembering that not every atelier will undertake the sewing of such an expensive material. Tremendous distinction comes with even greater responsibility. Therefore, we are extremely pleased that one of our customers has placed such great trust in us. Thanks to him, we joined one of the few studios in this part of Europe that has the opportunity to work on this legendary material. Also noteworthy is the certificate confirming the authenticity of the fabric and the number of orders completed worldwide. The number 330 means that so far only 329 jackets have been made from this particular material. Ours will be 330. As a curiosity, we can add that coats made of vicuña were worn by, among others, Al Capone and the famous Greek billionaire Aristotelis Onasis.

Photo. Certificate confirming the authenticity of the fabric.

A photo worth more than 1,000 words:

=========================================================================================================

After reading:

Have questions? Something has caught your interest and you would like to share your thoughts with us? Don't hesitate just write: info@dignito.en

You find the text you read valuable? Send it to your friends and help us reach a wider audience.

Like us on Facebook and add us to followers on tumblr to always stay up to date:

First time on the site? Meet Dignito and join the ranks of our regular customers.