After having set up a network that we hope will allow us to reliably control fair pay at each step in production, we will now begin with our product design. That includes designing Socialpaca’s first products, requesting samples, and then improving on those samples until we are satisfied with the products.
Much has changed in the world since our last post. The world has woken up to the reality of a raging pandemic. Our own wakeup call was the cancellation of our flights back due to the closure of the Peruvian border, which we only narrowly evaded.
Once we settled back into our home in Germany, we got back to work. While finalizing the website, we worked especially hard to send our first order to Peru, as we were well aware that the artisans and shepherds there, often living day by day, would be especially vulnerable to lockdowns and other consequences of the pandemic. And while this order only consisted of individual pieces, our partners were keen on getting to work, as the pandemic had dampened demand and threatened these people’s livelihoods.
For our first pieces, we decided on 6 knit sweaters, 6 scarves and a cape. We chose them for their simple but timeless designs, allowing us to pay a fair wage to artisans without exceeding the standard market price. They cover a range of settings, from a warm, cosy oversize, to a more formal crew neck. None of these will go out of fashion any time soon.
After some intense weeks and thanks to a lot of help we received, our first two sample orders were accepted in Peru in late April. We are excited to see how the final products turn out!
Meanwhile, Ecuador has gone into lockdown, too. As a result, we cannot organise the wool to be delivered to Matico, Socialpaca’s weaving partner in Ecuador, so that production has been delayed significantly. We hope that circumstances will soon change and allow us to work on our collaboration with Matico