Project Overview

Amano by Lorena Laing is committed to Creating SLOW fashion.
HAND made, HAND knit, HAND Woven. We are Keeping it local and 100% Natural.
Our Process Starts From the yarn Development of our local Alpaca Yarn, to the Design & development of the finished product, in collaboration with our own local Hand knitters and Weavers.
The Final product being our bespoke pieces, the retailers and YOU.

Organisation

Amano by Lorena Laing

Team

The team includes Lorena Laing- Founder & Designer of Amano By Lorena Laing.

Project Brief

Amano seeks to LOCALLY produce HANDMADE pieces, focusing on knitwear by local artisans from locally sourced MATERIALS.
Amano is specifically choosing to focus in our local Alpaca Industry and what it has to offer.
We are creating bespoke, Luxury Items which Exude a strong design presence, yet the organic appeal of a Natural Product.
The result: S L O W fashion

In the time poor world we live in, ruled by machines and fast fashion, HAND made has become precious, priceless & combined with Alpaca its complete LUXURY.
My aim is to SLOW down, creating pieces which take time.
To Slow down enough, to make us think outside the square we live in.

Project Innovation/Need

Amano by Lorena Laing seeks to explore our own back yard.

Amano Sources Local Materials, such as Australian Alpaca and through the aid of local Artisans, we produce a unique product which is 100% Natural, whilst keeping it local and maintaining our ancient artisanal skills alive.

Australia and NZ have done great things with Alpaca over the past 25 years and have had great progress in developing a world class fibre.
Suri Alpaca is a fairly new product in the textile market, offering so much more than your average wool.
It's silk like soft handle, impressive lustre, hypo-allergenic properties and scarcity make this product highly desirable and a premium offer.
Unlike Cashmere, Alpaca is a highly sustainable product producing over 4 time more fleece annually than the cashmere goat and causing little if any damage to their environment.
knowing Amano is all local, from start to finish, puts a smile on my face, because I am positively contributing to an ethical, sustainable way of living.

Design Challenge

There are many challenges when Designing a product Locally from start to finish.
We have scarcity of Materials, with only 1 mill Australia Wide set up to process Alpaca wool at a commercial level. In Australia we are under resourced in up to date machinery and therefore yarn variations are limited.
Minimum order quantity plays a big part in what is available to work with, colour palette and yarn offer.
Sourcing local craftsmanship, especially skilled artisans in what is fast becoming a dyeing art.
Amano is constantly searching for new talent who are able to craft a quality product at a commercial value.
Finally the end product are high cost goods and it is our challenge to bring costs down sufficiently for the end product to have some level of commercial reality.

Sustainability

Amano by Lorena Laing's Slogan is "Keeping it Local & 100% Natural".
We deal with local growers and understand the local Alpaca Industry.
We work with Australian Fibre, Commercially Produced in Australia, from Australian Mills.
We source local Craftsman / Women to produce our products by hand, without any use of Machinery.
It is Amano 's mission to maintain our ancient artisanal skills alive, to be able to create a demand for these crafts and hopefully inspire the younger generations to learn what our grandparents were once taught.
AMANO Products are packaged locally and We are proud to be contributing a sustainable and ethical product into the Market place; with minimal carbon footprint.