Fraser Valley
Llama and
Alpaca Club

From Field to Fashion

By Diane Gendron Cooney

From the Winter 2000 issue

Thanks to our flexible, cooperative, determined club members, we had a terrific fashion show of llama & alpaca fibre creations at Agrifair 2000. The show was on Monday after all our other events were over and it was a good wrap to a well coordinated lama event.

The models — mostly members of our club — showed the beautiful clothes very professionally. They were ready to go, right on cue, looking unflustered and cool (even though it was one of the hottest days of the summer and they were changing in a lama pen). The models showed the warm, cosy clothes off to the best advantage, encouraging the audience to get a closer look and to feel the soft fibre.

Left, Anna Helewka and Stephanie Walker.

It was hectic behind the scenes with our 12 models making quick changes into 70 outfits. The dressers helped everyone look their best and our whipper-in Tanya MacDonald made sure the models were ready to step onto the runway, wearing the right outfit at the right time.

Right, Leah Loynes modelling the felted hat made the previous day by Janet Boyhan.

I want to say a big thank you to everyone who helped change our space, in no time at all, from a demonstration site into a fashion salon — complete with South American music, a sound system, plants, a dressing room, seating for 100 and a runway.

And we wouldn’t have had a show without all those lovely clothes. I appreciated the terrific response I received from our club members when I asked, via e-mail, for all your llama and alpaca sweaters, vests, wraps, jackets, purses, scarves, mitts and toques.

I’ve heard many positive comments about the show and I understand that even the fair administrators were enthusiastic after they saw what we could do.

So, start spinning, knitting, weaving and felting now so we have lots of new items for next years show.

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