Debuting “Yachapa”

Every thread we touch carries a story — and our new short film, Yachapa, is a celebration of that truth. This project, launching alongside our first-ever Heritage Collection, has been a labor of love from our team and we can’t wait to share it with our community.

Shot on 16mm film, Yachapa features Nathalie Kelley and is directed by Sandra Winther. The film is a sensory journey through the Andean worldview - one where craft, land, and spirit are inseparable.

Watch the film now, and keep reading for a behind-the-scenes look below.

At its heart is actress and storyteller Nathalie Kelley, whose own life bridges Peru and the world beyond. Born in Lima and raised in Australia, Nathalie grew up steeped in the food, songs, and language of her maternal grandparents — an upbringing that anchored her to the Andean way of life and its deep spiritual and cultural roots.

Her story mirrors the film’s deeper question:

Rooted in the Quechua language, the word Yachapa means “echo,” a reflection of sound from the “Apu” mountains and valleys. It’s a reminder to listen closely to the echoes of ancestry, weaving, and wisdom that still live in the highlands of Peru.

This film honors the resilience and artistry of the alpaqueros and weavers in the Andes. These communities continue to create beauty and meaning in the face of modern-day challenges.

The film moves like memory — lingering on the hands of Quechua weavers and alpaquero families whose knowledge of fiber and earth has been passed down through generations. Each frame is alive with texture: the sound of a loom, the rhythm of hands spinning alpaca yarn, the wind that moves across the mountains.

Yachapa is a poetic conversation between past and present, and a collage of memory and continuity. Through Nathalie’s narration and the vivid artistry of Quechua weavers, it reminds us that holding onto ancestral wisdom has never been more vital.

Yachapa was created in tandem with our Heritage Collection, garments co-created directly with Peruvian artisans at the Centro de Textiles Tradicionales del Cusco (CTTC). This limited-edition collection honors the symbols of the Inca Trilogy: the Condor (sky + wisdom), Puma (earth + protection), and Snake (underworld + renewal).

Each motif has been reimagined into modern silhouettes, forming a bridge between the ancient and the contemporary — and between the world of the weavers and the world of the wearer.

Together, the Heritage Collection and Yachapa remind us that heritage is not only history. It’s alive, breathing, and protecting the future. This project honors the people and traditions that make PAKA possible — and to remind ourselves, and our community, that clothing can be more than what we wear.