Alpacas & Slow Fashion in the Hudson Valley
“It was love at first sight,” said Patricia of Shalimar Alpacas.
Patricia and her husband, Olivier are the owners of Shalimar Alpacas, a small Alpaca farm located in Warwick, NY. They currently have thirty two alpacas at the farm, and most recently they welcomed four new babies, whom she helped deliver. Patricia has a background in textile design which she studied in Columbia, and Olivier has a background in the perfume industry. They travel often to connect with alpaca farms around the world, and have lived in multiple countries including Switzerland and Paris. They eventually ended up settling in countryside of Upstate, NY. Patricia had always wanted to have some type of fiber animal since she has a passion for textiles and making everything by hand, but it wasn’t until after taking a trip to Connecticut to visit a small alpaca farm, they immediately fell in love with alpacas.
Patricia and Olivier have learned everything about alpacas here in North America when they first started the farm, and are always continuing to learn more. One of her fondest experiences was about 20 years ago, when Patricia visited Peru for the first time and took a tour with a group of American alpaca breeders which was guided by a Peruvian breeder. They learned about the history of alpacas, the Peruvian culture and the processing of the luxurious fine fibers at a large mill. It was a very emotional experience for her and It deepened her love for alpacas even more.
The process of turning alpaca wool into yarn, and transforming the yarn into a handknit piece requires several steps. Alpacas only have one baby per year, and the gestation period takes up to one year. Once the baby is born, it takes another year for the alpaca to be sheared for the first time. Once the alpaca has been sheared, the wool is then sent to a local mill that Shalimar Alpacas work with to be processed and spun into yarn. Patricia spends her days at the farm caring for the alpacas, and will then walk over to her studio to work on her latest hand-knit pieces. She loves knitting oversized scarves, keeping up with the latest styles and looks forward to wearing her own products during in the Winter since they are so warm and cozy. You truly get to understand how special these animals are, and where and how exactly each piece is made from farm to fashion at Shalimar Alpacas Farm.
Meet Patricia, Oliver and the alpacas of Shalimar Farm at the Hudson Valley Farm & Flea Market on Saturday, October 12th from 10am-4pm. Tickets are available here.
