An Encounter with Black Alpaca

About 30 years ago, Chalie Vice, on a journey around the world, stopped in the high-altitude Peruvian city of Cusco and met Alonzo Burgos in a small bar. Alonzo, who had just begun his serious research into alpacas in the Andes, spoke passionately about the wonder of alpacas and the way of life of the people who lived alongside them, introducing Chalie to alpaca.

While showing Chalie various colored alpacas, Alonzo spoke with even greater fervor, saying, "My dream is to create knitwear that utilizes the natural black color as it is, and deliver it to users."

—Why was black alpaca your "dream"?

AlonzoSince the 1950s in the Andes, white and off-white alpacas have been highly valued. In the North American market of the 1950s, a popular movie actor wore pastel-colored alpaca golf wear in a film, which led to dyed alpaca knitwear becoming the main product. The reputation that white alpacas sold well spread through the Andes, and they began to increase the proportion of alpacas with easily dyeable coat colors.

By the time I met Chalie, the number of alpaca coat color patterns had decreased, and black was a rarity, accounting for less than 0.01 percent of the total alpaca population. Furthermore, because the coat colors were not meticulously sorted, collecting only black alpacas to make knitwear was a "dream."

Alpaca That Changed the Brothers' Lives

"THE INOUE BROTHERS" is a knitwear brand helmed by brothers Satoru and Kiyoshi Inoue, born in Denmark to Japanese parents. Their "Supreme Royal Alpaca" material is produced through the cooperation and harmony of Alonzo's research institute in Pacomarca, Peru, and the people of the Andes.

—Have you two been working together long before starting the brand?

KiyoshiWe started "THE INOUE BROTHERS" in 2004, but I moved to London during my university years, and my brother has always lived in Copenhagen, and we both had our own jobs. Even now, I work as a hairdresser four days a week at a salon in London. Initially, my brother would come to London once or twice a month, and now that we can use Skype and FaceTime, we feel like we're always together when we work.

—You both have other jobs, so why did you get involved with alpaca?

SatoruActually, "THE INOUE BROTHERS" was established as a design office. My brother was in hairdressing, and I was in graphic design for advertising, so we thought about how we could collaborate on things like conceptual design for beauty-related fields or graphic styling for events.

However, two years after establishing the office, I was invited by an acquaintance who was writing a thesis on alpaca and the lives of South American indigenous people to visit South America. This experience led to a major shift in the concept of "THE INOUE BROTHERS." I met the people of the Andes and immediately felt a connection. On the other hand, I witnessed their difficult circumstances and harsh living conditions, which sparked a strong desire to help them.

At that time, there was a movement called "social design" in the European design scene. It was a trend where social contribution was made through the production location and the products themselves, while creating good design. To help the people of the Andes, whose closest companion is the alpaca, we decided to start a knitwear brand.

After that, with the desire to learn more about alpaca and make high-quality alpaca even more appealing, we traveled throughout South America and eventually reached Pacomarca.

—What did you like about the research institute in Pacomarca?

KiyoshiTheir initiative to improve the lives of people living with alpacas, and their project's policy of introducing the inherent value of the material.

My brother and I grew up in Denmark during a time when there were few immigrants, and we experienced various hardships from a young age. Some people were prejudiced, and we were bullied. Also, our father passed away early, so we weren't very well-off.

We even made T-shirts together to fund a school trip. My brother would draw illustrations, I would contact a factory to make them into T-shirts, and we sold them to our classmates. Even amidst hardship, we experienced the joy of creation.



SatoruThat's why I can deeply understand the feelings of people in difficult situations in an unfair society. I can sense what the people of the Andes are seeking at a profound level.

Even now, when I work with the people of the Andes, I always feel it's important that they can believe they are not insignificant just because they are poor. I believe that Pacomarca's initiative to create the world's best alpaca knitwear by refining alpaca that is integral to their lives serves as a greater motivator for them than money.



—When you two visited, how did Alonzo feel?

AlonzoThere was surprise and joy. For 30 years, I had been at the center of the alpaca business, but all the conversations were about engaging with alpaca for commercial purposes.

Before establishing the research institute, I studied alpacas and the lives of indigenous people in the Andes at a university in the United States, and I was concerned about the declining quality of alpaca fiber. At the same time, I felt that the culture and way of life of the indigenous people, who have lived with alpacas for over 5,000 years, basing their livelihoods on harsh natural environments and drawing sustenance from alpacas, were in danger.—.

However, no one showed interest in the initiative that we had been undertaking for over 30 years at the Pacomarca research institute, in parallel with improving alpaca quality: to give hope and encouragement to the people of the Andes who live with alpacas, and to connect their wonderful culture to improved livelihoods. All the conversations were about how cheaply alpaca could be bought and how much alpaca could be sold in bulk.

But they arrived suddenly, were not interested in purely commercial matters at all, and were the first to show interest in the project that supported the people living with alpacas in the Andes. I felt motivated to teach them everything, to convey everything, as if they were students.

Knitwear Born from a 30-Year Dream

—At the time, you two were novices in fashion, weren't you? Weren't you concerned?

AlonzoOn the contrary, I saw their novice status as an opportunity. This is because the Supreme Royal Alpaca obtained through our collaboration with the institute can only be produced in very rare, small batches. A fashion house with a long history and extensive experience would likely not be satisfied with such small quantities.

My wish was to create knitwear of unprecedented quality by utilizing the efficient shearing techniques and fiber sorting know-how developed at the institute, and to give back to the indigenous people. Therefore, I diligently learned the techniques and felt that they, who were so close to the people of the Andes, were the perfect fit.

Furthermore, I was reminded of a man whose passion resonated with mine and who I felt would lend his support: Chalie. I was convinced that if we combined their enthusiasm with Pacomarca's technology and experience, along with Chalie's discerning eye, we could surely create wonderful knitwear.

Especially this black alpaca, it was one of the dreams I had envisioned since establishing the institute, so I thought it would be great to involve him, and that's why I introduced the two of them.

—What was it about the black alpaca that Chalie liked?

SatoruHe remembered Alonzo's dream and was waiting for the black alpaca. I believe he had been anticipating what kind of knitwear it would become for over 30 years. So, I was nervous when we were introduced.

First, I wanted Chalie to feel the texture. Its superior touch, different from other alpacas, is unique to the alpacas from Pacomarca. The carefully shorn and sorted alpaca is selected even more rigorously than alpaca intended for dyeing. Perhaps Chalie fell in love with this texture.

I also hope he liked the design. We believe this unique, deep black enhances delicacy and simplicity, and it's created using patterns that connect to our identity. We call it "Scandinasian" design, based on Japanese subtlety and clean, minimalist Scandinavian design.

If Chalie also liked this design, I feel we may have contributed a little to the "dream" that Chalie and Alonzo envisioned.

CHALIE VICE
While his age, profession, and place of origin are unknown, he is a well-traveled individual who has honed his sensibilities by experiencing cultures and customs in various countries. He is a "sophisticated connoisseur of life's pleasures," adept in diverse fields such as music, photography, and cuisine. His network, built through his travels, is extensive, connecting him deeply with artists and creators at the forefront of their respective fields. At "THE GALLERY by CHALIE VICE" on the 8th floor of Isetan Shinjuku Men's Building, he shares items and experiences from around the world that enrich life.
http://chalievice.com/