Alpaca Couture makes wool fashionable
Antonella Commatteo and Wade Von Giessen are the names behind Alpaca Couture, a line that turns natural fabrics such as Alpaca wool into unique creations. Ever since Alpaca Couture was established, the designers’ expertise with fabrics and their refined taste has resulted in beautiful collections such as this Spring/Summer 15’s resort wear collection.
This collection has been inspired by a sense of escape – a sense of freedom and lightness of flight that would be felt when anyone puts on their clothes. Their inspiration shows in the pieces themselves: Colorful silks and new renewable fibers such as rayon bamboo are used and bring out a light glamour to the upscale collection. Futuristic designs nod toward an other-world alike to the one in Avatar. If anything, Commatteo and Gease are anything but conformists.
Alpaca Couture, through a mix of alpaca and other natural textiles, raises awareness of this unique fiber. This not only gains further exposure of these regal mammals, but also serve to support a rapidly developing industry. Commatteo/Von Giessen’s corporate philosophy fosters the development of the labor force and is proud to have all of their couture designs entirely Made in America.
The two are a perfect pair and have managed to create beautiful pieces despite their busy lifestyles. Commatteo balances her designing with family time constraints because she has two beautiful children. Von Giessen has expertise with manufacturing products from alpacas’ shearing yields from his own ranch and has progressed towards design. Overall, they are creative and very determined to succeed even in the face of using a unique fabric.
Their resort wear collection is just the start – Commatteo and Von Giessen have an open attitude to where their designs will go. This is especially because images develop in their mind as they are able to gain inspiration from many places: clouds, cracks in the sidewalk, life and love out of many others. Their experimentations with fabrics and general awe with the world around them have allowed them to build Alpaca Couture into what it is today.
