5
breeder associations
Camelid breeders
We work with five associations of llama breeders representing more than five hundred families. Fiber quality is cared for from its origin.
Tupiza · Potosí · Bolivia
Weaving the future of the highlands together
Llama fiber, Bolivia’s noble resource, transformed by hand by the people who raise, spin and weave it. From raw material to finished garment.
Awana · a Quechua word
An invitation to weave together
Awana comes from Quechua and is understood as an “invitation to weave or work together”. That is who we are: a social enterprise from Tupiza that brings breeders, spinners and weavers together around llama fiber.
We take the fiber through its whole transformation: from raising the llama, through spinning, to the felt garments and woven textiles that reach your hands.
Our story- 3
- million llamas in Bolivia
- 500+
- breeder families
- 10
- artisan centers
- 100+
- women weavers
A social enterprise
People first, business second
AWANA was not created to make a fortune. It was started by a social worker who knows highland poverty first-hand and wanted the llama to bring income to the families who raise it.
- 01
The producer first
We care that llama herders do well: we do not seek a profit made at the expense of those who raise the llama.
- 02
A product with identity
We promote llama fiber, the resource Bolivia can take to the world under its own name.
- 03
A market to produce for
We open markets first, so that producing more and better makes sense for the families.
“I did not start a company to make a lot of money. We need to build companies that have a social vision.”
Alcira Lozano · Founder
The process
From llama to garment
A select product from the fiber harvest to the final piece. Every stage passes through Bolivian hands.
- 01
Breeding
We work with associations of llama breeders in the highlands and look after fiber quality from its origin.
- 02
Hand selection
The fiber is sorted by hand, fleece by fleece, to ensure uniformity and quality.
- 03
Washing, carding and combing
Once washed and purified, the fiber is carded into continuous batts or combed into uniform slivers, ready for spinning or felting.
- 04
Spinning
Llama and alpaca yarns in a range of thicknesses, supplied on cones and in skeins.
- 05
Weaving and felting
Traditional Andean looms, knitting and felting give shape to shawls, ponchos, garments and hats.
- 06
Finishing and packaging
Finishing and packaging are done together with our social inclusion programs in Tupiza.
- Weaving together
- Llama fiber
- Made by hand
- From Tupiza to the world
Catalog
Six collections, one thread
From raw fiber to finished garment: raw material for spinning mills and designers, and pieces ready to wear, keep warm and give.
View the full catalog
Social impact
Weaving stories with purpose
At AWANA every thread has a social purpose. Our model goes beyond production: it is about strengthening communities and creating opportunities for a fairer future in the highlands.
100+
women weavers
Artisans and artisan centers
Ten artisan centers bring together more than one hundred weavers who sustain the local economy and preserve ancestral weaving techniques.
87
people in inclusion programs
Social inclusion
An association of seven people with disabilities makes cards and hand looms, and eighty people deprived of liberty at the “Corazón de Jesús” center in Tupiza take part in finishing and packaging.
Our values
What holds every thread
- 01
Tradition
We preserve the ancestral techniques of Andean weaving.
- 02
Community
We work hand in hand with breeders, artisans and families in the region.
- 03
Sustainability
Natural fibers and processes that respect the land.
- 04
Quality
Excellence in every fiber, every thread and every garment.
Gallery
Hands, fiber and land
Images of our daily work: the herds, the fiber, the workshop and the loom.
View the full gallery
Custom orders
Need a custom product?
We work with designers, brands and companies to create unique products tailored to their needs. From small batches to industrial production runs.
Request a quoteRepresentatives in
- Bolivia
- Argentina
- Chile
- Peru