Your cart
There are no more items in your cart
OUR FABRIC
APU KUNTUR uses only high-quality peruvian fibres such as alpaca and pima cotton. Alpaca fibre is one of the most valuable and precious fibres in the world. It is light, especially soft and has a silky and unique shine. It is special because: The fibre is hollow inside and the trapped air supports the outstanding thermal properties of the material. In addition, alpaca is dirt and odour repellent and makes it easy to take care for your new favourite pieces - a brief exposure to fresh air usually cleans up all odours and traces of wear. Alpaca is also one of the most sustainable natural fibres, as the animals are kept in an environmentally friendly and traditional way. Alpacas live in family groups in the Andes, and are carefully sheared only once a year.
Furthermore Peru has a thousand-year-old tradition of growing and perfecting cotton, dating back to pre-Inca cultures. Peruvian Pima cotton (gossypium barbadense) is considered the softest and finest cotton. It differs from conventional cotton by its fibre length which is up to two times longer. Picking and sorting by hand guarantees that the fibre remains pure and undamaged. You can feel the result immediately: It is very soft, extraordinarily hard-wearing and has its own shine to which it owes the name „Silk of South America“. We also use mainly Pima cotton from controlled organic cultivation for APU KUNTUR.
ABOUT US
APU KUNTUR was founded in Peru in 1989 by alpaca fashion pioneer Nelly Amachi and her siblings. From the very beginning, the aim was to process the fabulous peruvian natural fibres into high-quality clothing and accessories that meet the highest expectations in terms of quality and wearability. As neither part-time work nor childcare is commonly known in Peru it has always been Nelly´s attention to create a work place with conditions for equally affected woman.
The textile production in Cusco has grown significantly in the last years and can count almost 100 employees. Nelly‘s brother Juvenal and her cousin Juan are managing the production side and make sure to stick up to the Euopean standard. Based on her the years of experience, Nelly designs and creates high quality APU KUNTUR fashion in a design studio in Winterthur. She´s grest support of her daughters Prisila and Danna which both have professional knowledge in fashion design. The fashion range includes seasonal collections as well as a proven core assortment, whose products have enjoyed great popularity over the years and are continuously improved.
OUR VALUES
Nelly‘s husband and director Matthias Gutknecht sees the strong cohesion as an important part of the philosophy of the family business APU KUNTUR:
„Each and every single employee is part of our APU KUNTUR family and we attach great importance to a pleasant working atmosphere. For example, the production facility in Cusco, which was newly built in 2016 at 3500 m above sea level, is flooded with light and spacious rooms. Each day, at our very own company canteen Mrs. Señora Monica provides a warm and free meal to all employees. Our own day child care centre, which is supervised by professional teachers, enables single mothers to bring their children to work as well. APU KUNTUR is also involved in education as we train inexperienced young employees and offer further training“.
COME VISIT US
Are you interested in visiting us on site in Cusco, Peru? We are happy to welcome you on our production facility where you wil see the traditional skills and craftsmanship that goes into every piece of APU KUNTUR fashion. Our transparency and commitment are essential for our dealers and customers and a seal of our fair trade philosophy.
