Doubleface blanket alpaca

The French manufacturer Brun de Vian-Tiran use only undyed alpaca hair in various natural shades. These stylishly woven, soft and warm blankets come as a double-face weave: one shows a darker grey on one side, a lighter grey on the other, the other blanket is brown on top and grey underneath.

Because it is so rare, alpaca is considered among the most valuable natural fibres. It is extremely fine, soft and shiny, yet very resistant, since the structure of the hair is, in itself, an adaptation to the considerable climatic variation in the Andes. Among other things, each individual hair is shaped like a hollow tube resulting in outstanding heat balancing properties. The long, smooth fibres come in more than 20 different natural colours, from dark anthracite to light grey, in various browns and shades of natural white. We have two different alpaca blankets on offer: this one is from France; the other is hand woven in a German factory.

Dry clean.

Alpaca hair is among the most valuable natural fibers of all. It is extraordinarily fine and yet very resistant, as its structure is adapted to the great climate fluctuations of the Andean mountains, the home of the alpaca. Among other things, it is hollow on the inside, giving it superior thermal insulation capabilities. Alpaca hair also contains extremely little lanolin and is therefore very well tolerated by everyone.

Wool processing has a long tradition in the Vaucluse region of Provence. The Manufacture Lainière Brun de Vian-Tiran in L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue (east of Avignon), the former center of textile craftsmanship in the region, bears witness to this. Many machines there were powered by the water of the Sorgue, and around 1800 there were over 60 fulling mills, spinning machines and looms. In 1808, Charles Tiran and his son-in-law Laurent Vian founded their mill on the banks of the Sorgue to produce woolen fabrics and blankets. The manufactory was given the name Brun de Vian-Tiran in 1886 following the marriage of one of Vian's granddaughters to Emile Brun. After the heyday of the region around 1900, Isle-sur-la-Sorgue had five large textile factories and many smaller, specialized workshops producing wool blankets, carpets, dress fabrics and special fabrics for the paper industry, at the turn of the millennium only one company was still working there: Brun de Vian-Tiran.

Today, the factory is run by the eighth generation. Pierre Brun and his son Jean-Louis uphold traditional skills, but are also committed to innovation and progress. In 1961, Brun de Vian-Tiran was the first weaving mill in France to produce a blanket made of pure mohair - a milestone in the history of the company, as the smooth hair of the Angora goat is extremely difficult to process when unmixed. Based on this know-how, other fine natural fibers such as alpaca, llama, camel and yak hair are processed, as well as rare materials such as cashgora and yangir. In 2009, the manufactory was recognized for its commitment to preserving traditional techniques and machines with the state award "Entreprise du Patrimoine Vivant". Today, Brun de Vian-Tiran is one of the few weaving mills in France that still work entirely at the company headquarters. Textiles of the highest quality are produced there in an average of 15 work steps.