Animana Makes the World Better, One Alpaca at a Time

Jerry Nelson
Nov 6 · 3 min read

From Oprah to The Guardian llamas are trending. Google searches for llamas have reached the stratosphere and the good-natured animals are on home goods, fashion, kitchenware and even desserts.

It doesn’t matter if you want to hike, groom, share a picnic, or even watch them from a distance, there is a spike in travel to destinations which offer special encounters with the wild, woolly animals in Patagonia.

Animana Brings the Wool to You

Animana, makes garments with 100% all-natural fibers. The source of the fiber lives in Patagonia and come from alpacas, llamas, and guanacos.

Opened in 2009, company visionary Adriana Marina left her career in economy to build a sustainable project. Withing with artisans, and animal caretakers, she set about building an alternative model which has rocked the fashion industry.

But it’s not been an easy road.

“Animaná is a dream that was born with me in Patagonia and today is a reality in the world, “ Adriana said recently.

Today the fashion brand works with over 7,500 artisans from Argentina’s southern region and together they produce sweaters, cardigans, ponchos, shirts and more. With two stores in Buenos Aires and one in Paris, Animana also works with the United Nations in New York to strengthen the growing change within fashion — sustainable brands.

What is a Sustainable Brand?

Olivia Sprinkel defines a sustainable brand as “one that has a meaning or purpose that goes beyond making money, instead seeking to increase the well being of humanity and all life on our planet. It sees people as creativists, not consumers. And it understands the life cycle and environmental impact of all its activities, so that it can seek to continuously innovate and reduce its impact to a minimum.”

Consumers v Creativists

The word “prosumer” has lost its original glow and now means something more akin to “professional consumer.” Creativist is more accurate.

For instance, households are no longer just consuming electricity, but are taking a hand in creating it.

Whichever term you prefer, the idea is the same. The concept is becoming more widespread across different industries and it is those companies who recognize and encourage the paradigm shift from consumers to creativists who will be leaders on the path to sustainability.

Companies such as Animana are responding to, and being ahead of the forever changing world. Companies need employees who want to be creativists and not merely consumers. Workers who are not passively going along for the ride and their paycheck.

Animana seeks creativists who bring their creativity, their passion, and their ideas to work with them.

The Takeaway

The biggest choice we have to make in the world today is to choose to be either a creativist or a consumer. There are no other options.

A consumer is passive. Motivated by external values controlled by others, a consumer is damaging to individuals, to society and to the planet.

A creativist is active in creating their own identity and motivated by internal, lasting values.

I am an American freelance writer living the expat life in Argentina. You can find me writing for The Washington Post, Israel Times, Forbes or dozens of other international media outlets — I’m the guy at any of hundreds of sidewalk cafes in Buenos Aires. Join the quarter-million who follow me on Twitter @Journey_America or email me at jandrewnelson2@gmail.com.


Originally published at https://www.linkedin.com.

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A “slush pile” is the black hole of editors and publishers. It’s the void into which go forgotten manuscripts. Medium’s slush file is for every author who ever submitted a story, only to see it set lonely and forgotten — and not making money.

Jerry Nelson

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I am an American freelance writer living the expat life in Argentina. Hire me through Fiverr.com/jandrewnelson

Slush Pile

A “slush pile” is the black hole of editors and publishers. It’s the void into which go forgotten manuscripts. Medium’s slush file is for every author who ever submitted a story, only to see it set lonely and forgotten — and not making money.

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