Our London Fashion Week Debut: Alpaca From the New Forest, on the Runway
On 20 September, a collection that began as fleece on a farm in the New Forest walked the runway at London Fashion Week. Presented through Oxford Fashion Studio's Emerge platform at Devonshire Square, it was the first time we had shown Alpaca Apparel to a room of strangers, and I have hardly stopped thinking about it since.
I spent years on the other side of the runway as a model, so I know what a show asks of clothes. They must read from across a room and still feel true at arm's length. That is a demanding test for knitwear, which can look soft in a photograph and shapeless in motion. Natural alpaca wool, knitted well, answers it quietly: it drapes, it holds warmth without weight, and it moves as you do.
The palette came straight from the alpacas themselves and are undyed natural colourways, Against a runway they looked almost unreal, the way something looks when it is simply what it is.
Five pieces made the collection, and the looks were built around them. The Soft Set and the Lounge Suit carry the ease of loungewear, the Structured Set holds a cleaner line, and the Poncho is the piece that moves. We kept styling simple, keeping the spotlight on the fibre because a garment made in small numbers deserves to be worn exactly as it was intended.
Everything on that runway can be traced. The fibre comes from our herd at Grainmarket Alpacas in the New Forest and also from our local friends herds, it is spun at Two Rivers Mill in Northern Ireland, and it is knitted and finished at Knit Design Centre in Leicester. From the alpaca to the apparel, nothing is hidden. It is the reason we are a Reloom Pioneer Brand, and it is why being named One to Watch at the Drapers Conscious Fashion Awards meant so much before we ever reached London.
What happens next is simple: more of the same, made slowly, in numbers we choose never to exceed. We would love to hear from you and appreciate feedback and suggestions for garments to produce going forwards.
Frequently asked questions
Where did Alpaca Apparel show at London Fashion Week? We showed at Devonshire Square on 20 September 2026, through Oxford Fashion Studio's Emerge platform.
Is Alpaca Apparel made in the UK? Yes. The fibre comes from our own herd in the New Forest and also from our local friends. It is spun in Northern Ireland, and it is knitted and finished in Leicester.
What is Emerge? Emerge is Oxford Fashion Studio's platform for presenting emerging independent labels at London Fashion Week.