Vicuna : The Queen of the Andes

The vicuna is a small camelid that lives in the high alpine areas of the Andes. This book tells the story of the vicuna, portraying the graceful animal in its natural habitat, underscoring its aura of legend and its role in the life and economy of the local communities, and focusing on the complexities of its existence and the efforts to save it.

After Baby Cashmere and The Lotus Flower, Loro Piana tells us the story of the vicuña and its coveted fibre. The vicuña is a small camelid that lives in the high alpine areas of the Andes. Prized since the time of the Incas for its extraordinarily soft and fine wool, and deeply venerated by the ancients, the vicuña was long threatened with extinction, being hunted indiscriminately for its coveted fibres. Only in recent times, thanks partially to the efforts of Loro Piana, the small camelid has returned from the brink of extinction and now lives protected in strictly regulated reserves in the high Andes. This book tells the story of the vicuña, portraying the graceful animal in its natural habitat, underscoring its aura of legend and its role in the life and economy of the local communities, and focusing on the complexities of its existence and the efforts to save it.