Alpaca Fibre for Commercial End Use Wednesday 18th February 2026

Presenters: Paul Valelly & Emma Taylor

Webinar – 7-9pm

This webinar will examine the essential elements for supplying alpaca fibre for commercial end-products, both individually and collectively, including fleece assessment, preparation and key demand drivers.

Experienced alpaca breeders are well aware that alpacas have the potential to produce some of the world’s most exquisite fleeces. From the 1830s, when Sir Titus Salt created the large-scale alpaca processing mill in Bradford, to the current day, with alpaca garments gracing the catwalks in Milan and Paris, alpaca has been featured as a luxury fibre.

The ability to supply alpaca fibre suitable for commercial end-use, however, has become elusive for many breeders, given that the criteria are quite specific and often require considerable experience, as the pitfalls are many.

The presenters, Paul Vallely & Emma Taylor, have had considerable collective experience with alpaca fibre.

Paul has experience in supplying fibre for commercial products over the past 40 years. He has owned a large-scale ultrafine merino operation in Australia, established a supply chain for Italian fashion house, Loro Piana, created the Premium Alpaca fleece collection scheme that secured record-breaking contracts with Armani and Zegna, as well as owning a global fibre testing service.

Emma co-owns East Anglia Alpaca Mill, which specialises in processing alpaca fleece into high-quality yarn and textiles. The mill plays an essential role in the national alpaca farming industry, being the only dedicated alpaca processing option & providing owners & breeders the opportunity to transform their raw fleece into commercial products. The mill also serves customers internationally who recognise the expertise that Emma & Chris possess together with the passion for top class service & products.