Noble fibres | The height of natural luxury

At the noble fibre pinnacle sits vicuña. Inhabiting alpine areas of the South American Andes vicuña are the smallest camelids, reaching a height of only 90cm. Considered sacred to the Inca people, vicuña are shorn every second summer through an ancient tradition called Chaku. Measuring 12 microns (the average human hair is 50-100 microns) vicuña is much finer than other wools. Fashion garments composed of vicuña are soft and light yet durable with exceptional insultation properties.

Found at lower elevations of the Andes and in Patagonia is the guanaco, a close relative of the llama and second only to the vicuña in fibre quality. Guanacos are a protected species whose fibre can only be collected by those holding a permit and is therefore incredibly rare. With a micron count similar to cashmere, the fleece consists of two layers – coarse guard hairs at the outer with very fine hairs beneath, which are popular for fine garments.

Llamas hail from the Bolivian Highlands where they have played an important role in local culture and spiritual beliefs since the Incan Empire. Easily identified by their elegant stature, banana-shaped ears, straight back, and long neck, over 2.6 million llamas live in Bolivia today, of which 75% are coloured while the rest are white. Llama fibres are popular ideal for interior textiles as they offer inherent thermal insulation, natural shine, moisture-wicking properties, and are hypoallergenic.

Read more about llama fibres in our previous article: Lama Velvet by Mokum.

Known as the fibre of the gods, alpacas have been bred in South America for more than 5000 years. Highly regarded for both fashion and interior textiles, alpaca fibre is strong, soft, and contains almost no lanolin. The Huacaya alpaca’s fleece is dense with a natural sheep-like crimp and elasticity that is ideal for knitting, whilst Suri alpaca’s grow a much longer and more lustrous pencil-like fleece suited to woven textiles. Alpaca fleece is soft, light, and naturally shiny with a higher tensile strength than sheep wool.

Yaks inhabit the highland of Central Asia from the Himalayas to Mongolia and Russia. Yak fibre is produced in three qualities: the undercoat, known as yak down, is 15-24 microns and similar to cashmere in softness and thermal insulation, the medium fibre is traditionally used for making ropes and blankets, whilst the coarse outer hairs are used for making tents. Tibetan yaks each produce 1kg of down per year, collected during the spring when they naturally molt. This short staple fibre is often blended with merino or silk to enhance usability.

Merino fleece is soft and fine, also ranging from 15-24 microns, and widely considered to be the most luxurious sheep fleece. Suitable for base layers, luxury garments, activewear, and interior textiles, it is an incredibly versatile noble fibre. Famously produced in New Zealand and Australia, merino wool is sustainable, readily available, and suitable for everything from lampshades to delicate throws, sheer draperies, heavy duty upholsteries, and carpets – wool truly is the wonder fibre.

Read more about wool in our previous article: A woolly tale.

Cashmere is perhaps the most widely recognized noble fibre, famous for its strength and softness in fashion textiles. Although goats are believed to have been domesticated in Asia 8-10,000 years ago, the cashmere weaving industry began in Kashmir in the 1300s before trade commenced along the Silk Road to China, the Middle East, and Africa. Interestingly, cashmere did not become popular in Europe until Napoleon sent a scarf home to Josephine in the 1700s. The Kashmir Pashmina goat is a breed of cashmere goat which produces an even finer, more luxurious fibre. Therefore, all pashmina is cashmere, but not all cashmere is pashmina.

Mohair is a noble fibre produced by the Angora goat. Thought to originate in Ankara, Turkey, the word mohair derives from makhayer, Arabic for preference or chosen, and was popularized in Europe in the mid-1600s for the creation of wigs. Mohair is unique amongst wools for its lustrous sheen, resulting from the smoother, less scaled surface of the fibre. Mohair also takes dyes much more readily than other noble fibres, producing interior textiles in exceptionally wide colour palettes with a signature shine and deep pile.

In addition to these luxurious noble fibres are their plant-based counterparts, known as bast fibres. Learn about the incredible qualities of flax (linen), jute, hemp, and ramie in our previous article: Nature’s bounty | Bast fibres.