The Next Chapter of PAKA

It’s hard to believe it’s been ten years since PAKA began. I still vividly remember waking up on the Mamani family’s rooftop in Peru, working on our first alpaca sweater prototypes when this was all a dream. I was 20 years old and had absolutely no idea what I was getting myself into. 

There’ve been more moments than I can count when PAKA shouldn’t have made it. But here we are, still independently owned and committed to the same things.

About a year ago, I began asking myself a question that felt bigger than any we’d faced before: Alpaca brought us here - where do we go next? To find the answer, I went back to where everything began in Peru to reconnect with the roots of this brand, which led to a trip around the world. 

This film shares a raw, behind-the-scenes look of what unfolded from there.

When I first founded PAKA, I set out to connect people to where their things come from. Alpaca was how we did that. Beyond the fiber itself, the traditions, alpaqueros, weavers, and places have shaped who we are as a company.

But over time, I've come to realize staying true to PAKA doesn't mean making everything out of alpaca.

There are many things alpaca does better than any other fiber in the world. But as much as I love the fiber, it isn’t always the right material for every product. If we want to make a great pair of pants, for example, alpaca might not be the right natural fiber for the job.

We also have a responsibility to the animals, the people who raise them, and all the communities behind PAKA. They aren't an unlimited resource, and I never want growth to come at their expense.

Above all, we’ve made a promise to you: to make the best quality clothing out of the best possible material. We would never compromise on that (i.e. using a coarser alpaca fiber that may itch, or forcing alpaca into a yarn that won’t be durable) just to keep an alpaca label on everything.

Peru and alpaca will always be PAKA’s heart and home. But what we've built has now created a blueprint for something bigger. Within ten years, we’ve been able to create a traceable alpaca supply chain and, through our Foundation, support thousands of people and tens of thousands of animals. PAKA has shown me that making products with integrity can also create real opportunities for the communities behind them.

My goal is to make the highest quality natural-fiber clothing to discover this world. Not just sweaters, but a complete wardrobe to wear 365 days a year. And along the way, bring more opportunity to the people and places behind what we make. That's what motivates us to grow - not simply getting bigger. And in order realize this dream, we need to expand our horizons.

As we navigate the uncharted road ahead, I’ve clarified our mission statement: PAKA exists to inspire a life connected to source.

How do we stay true to our mission? That’s the question that’s been keeping me up at night as we dream bigger. So I've jotted down what we're calling the ‘PAKA Product Promise’: four guiding principles for every new product we make:

• Go to the source - search the world for the highest quality natural fibers, sourced from where they evolved and grow best. 
• Choose the right partners - partner with the world’s best farmers, mills, and craftspeople who meet our social, environmental, and quality standards. 
• Know where it comes from - build traceability into every fiber and share it with full transparency, so you know where your things come from and who made them. 
• Give back to the source (Ayni) - support the communities and places behind what we make. Without them, we’re nothing.

Our alpaca sweaters will continue to be made in Peru, along with the majority of our other alpaca products.

We’re also setting an ambitious goal: by 2035, more than 90% of the fibers we use will be natural or plant-derived. 

We're not there yet - this year, we’ll land a little over 70%. Even our original Hoodie contains 35% recycled nylon. Replacing certain materials without compromising performance won’t be easy, but we believe we can get there and are going to keep pushing ourselves to figure out how. 

Finally, there's a promise I want to make personally. Beyond the certifications, I’ll be traveling to any new fiber origin myself - to meet the farmers, understand how the materials are grown and processed, and get to know the communities behind them.

We wouldn't be here without the people who took a chance on an alpaca hoodie they’d never felt before, shared PAKA with a friend, or brought our clothing on a special adventure - thank you.

I’m ready to dream bigger as we step into this next decade, and I hope you are too. We’re embarking on a big journey, and I look forward to sharing what we learn along the way.

Ten years ago, this was just an idea on a rooftop in Peru. Thank you for proving wild dreams can become reality, and for caring about everything that makes PAKA so special.