Arms of Andes wasn’t the first business siblings Meli and Rensso Hinostroza owned and operated together. Greatly inspired and encouraged by their businessman father, their first entrepreneurial venture was none other than a lemonade stand.
“Rensso made the lemonade, and I was in charge of selling, probably because I was cuter,” Meli laughed. “And it’s kinda the same now!”
With Rensso at the helm of production and Meli the master of marketing, the pair has been committed to delivering high quality, plastic-free, 100% alpaca-made outdoor apparel since 2016.
As first-generation Americans, Meli and her siblings’ childhood was immersed in their family’s Peruvian culture, including frequent trips to Peru. “Although we were raised in the States, we grew up in a very Peruvian household.”
“Peru has so much beauty. The food, natural medicine, natural dyes, textiles…there’s a lot in Peru that the world hasn’t seen.” Peru is also home to 90% of the world's entire alpaca population.
With a thirst for business and love of their heritage, Meli and Rensso became curious about the ultimate high performance fiber native to the Andes; alpaca wool.
“The fiber naturally adapts to the extreme weather conditions, making it a natural highly functional fiber,” Meli explained. “Alpacas can withstand extreme climate changes in one day and, with their hydrophobic scales, their wool retains less moisture and dries much quicker.”
If it stands up to that, it could stand up to the modern day adventurer.
Familiar with the Peruvian culture, Meli and Rensso knew how to do business in Peru. “It’s super informal. Tomorrow means next month,” she laughed. “You have to be there, know the language, and know the culture to get what you’re looking for.”
Getting the alpaca wool wasn’t the hard part, Meli said. Creating the fabric from the wool is where the challenge lies. “You’re working with nature, and nature goes its own path. That’s how I feel about 100% natural alpaca,” she laughed. “Alpaca is so naturally stretchy, you can’t always form it the way you want because it wants to go its own way!”
Due to its complexity, Arms of Andes opted to invest in their own machinery to learn more about the production process and create the quality of apparel they desired. “You can’t find our items anywhere else. Sure there’s coats and scarves, but they’re not using 100% alpaca fabric in this type of way and the reason is, it’s really hard!”
Using Shopify and product photos shot with a cell phone, Arms of Andes sold their first 100% alpaca fiber baselayer in 2018.
Meli remembers the excitement from that first sale. “Somebody actually bought something, she laughed. “It was a whole door of wonder that was opened, though. So much potential.”
“I think back on it now, and it was so hectic, but it got the ball rolling,” Meli said of those early months. “We had to go back to production and fix everything we did wrong… fabric waste was incredibly high, sizing was off, and we wanted to create more items.”
Years later, not only do they offer common baselayers like t-shirts, long sleeves, and leggings, but undergarments, gloves, hats, arm sleeves, and gaiters are now available, too.
Like merino wool, alpaca fiber provides a lightweight and warm option in the backcountry. But when it comes to softness, durability, breathability, and moisture wicking properties, alpaca fiber is far superior.
Compared to merino wool that can retain up to 30% of its weight in water, alpaca only retains about 10% of its weight in water. If it gets wet, once the alpaca garment is wrung out, it is almost completely dry and will even dry quickly while still wearing it. It also has less environmental impact, never undergoing harsh chemical treatments.
“I hate hating on merino,” Meli laughed. “That’s not the enemy. It’s synthetics.”
Building a brand whose foundation is sustainability has and always will be the Arms of Andes mission.
By conducting all business in Peru, they’re proud to be a single-origin brand, greatly reducing their carbon footprint. From sourcing the alpaca wool, producing yarn, creating fabric, cutting, sewing, and packaging – it all takes place in Peru, making their supply chain a darn short one.
With the exception of the zippers (and they’re actively working on this), all items, down to the compostable packaging, are plastic free.
Not only is Arms of Andes committed to these values, they’re on a mission to show others how to live, shop, and conduct business sustainably. “In the end, we can’t sell to the whole world, but we can show the whole world.”
With the risk of sounding cheesy, Meli admitted Arms of Andes customers really do make it all worth it. “There’s other people on this mission as well, looking for 100% alpaca collections that are also plastic-free. We’re not alone, and that gives us a lot of hope.”
Originally from Alaska, Maria currently resides in Montana with her husband, two young daughters and chocolate lab named Echo. When she’s not chasing her kids or that next running goal, you can find her weekend-warrioring in the mountains or thinking about her next cup of coffee.
