Smiling faces with an alpaca wearing a pair of sunglasses and a garland in South America proved to be more than just a holiday snap for Orla Daly.
You could say it was the genesis of a luxury knitwear business for the Limerick native.
When hiking Rainbow Mountain high up in the Andes in Peru in 2019, Orla met alpaca farmers and was captivated by the “super soft” wool of this traditional South American mammal. Curious to see why its use wasn’t prominent in Europe, it sparked the idea for a slow fashion venture when she returned home after three months travelling.
She had never heard of a brand that was 100% alpaca wool only and wondered why, when it was comparable to cashmere.
Orla Daly Lambe with her husband Paul on Rainbow Mountain in the Andes in Peru. She traces the roots of her knitwear business back to this picture.
“I had heard of mixes with alpaca, but it’s not popular over here (in Europe), and people aren’t aware of it, so I thought because of all the beautiful qualities it has and also because of the negative environmental and ethical effects of mohair and cashmere, that it was worth pursuing,” Orla says.
Researching
From there she set about examining in a practical way whether a 100% alpaca knitwear line would work by researching yarn, spinners and knitters.
“It was a labour of love in the middle of lockdown. And I never thought maybe it isn’t a good idea to set up a luxury knitwear brand in the middle of a global pandemic,” she says, laughing, before telling Irish Country Living that her Cayo brand name was inspired by one of the two breeds of alpaca, the Huacaya. “I just think it’s really unique; if I do it well, people will want it.”
It took time to get it right, though, and Orla candidly admits there were “hard times” and even some tears when she wondered if it would ever come together. “I was a year doing samples before I got anything I was happy with,” she explains. “I did wonder, will I ever have anything that I’m proud to sell?”
Despite investigating Irish facilities, Orla says there was neither the appetite nor the supply available to make it work here. Instead, she has sourced the yarn and spinners in Peru. She later found expert Italian knitters, who already work with the well-known brand Ganni, who saw the potential despite never using the yarn before.
Guidance
She was lucky too to have a pattern cutter, who is an expert in knitwear from Limerick School of Art and Design, who gave her huge guidance. Orla, who had always harboured an ambition to work in fashion, also leaned into her own experience as a project manager, most recently for Apple and other major corporates in marketing and advertising. This meant she was able to do the branding, set up her own website and do financial planning in advance to kickstart her new business.
Investment pieces
The first collection of Cayo was launched at the end of 2021, and it has sustained itself since then with a new range of what she describes as “investment pieces” every year.
Although the spring days are warmly welcomed, Orla is thinking ahead to the next fashion season. Autumn is very much on her mind and she is buoyed up by a big order.
Orla Daly Lambe showing off her Cayo knitwear at home in Crecora, Co Limerick.
\ Eamon Ward
Her range of classic jumpers, cardigans and zip-up hoodies may be small, but Cayo is a consistent bestseller in Adare Manor and Granny’s Bottom Drawer in Kinsale, her two current stockists which she is hoping to add to in the future.
Several celebrities have already purchased her knitwear in Adare Manor, and with the Ryder Cup coming there in 2027, there could be more.
Season ahead
For the season ahead, she is planning on adding a hat, scarf and slippers to the range and wouldn’t rule out a special Irish line or collaboration in the future.
Initially interested in cashmere after a trip to Nepal, she turned away from it after learning that the goats are often over-sheared because of demand and they damage the land. In comparison, her alpaca wool product has advantages while retaining the luxury cache.
“It’s excellently made and expertly crafted, with really classic, beautiful fits. But I also want people to know the back story, to understand why it is a better purchase option from a sustainability and environmental point of view, without lecturing people.
“In terms of farming alpacas, you would get enough yarn for five to seven jumpers from one alpaca fleece, whereas you’d need three to four cashmere goats to make one cashmere jumper. You’d need one angora rabbit to make a jumper.”
Alpacas don’t damage the land, she says, but cashmere goats contribute to deforestation.
“Alpacas are very gentle on the land. They require very little food and water for their weight. They graze the grass, as opposed to pulling from the roots, so they don’t destroy the vegetation.
“They are native to where we get the wool in Peru. Us buying the yarn gives the smaller alpaca farmers, maybe with only 10 or 15 alpacas, a fair income,” explains Orla.
Hypoallergenic
The yarn is also hypoallergenic, which makes it a good option for people with skin conditions like eczema. Unlike other wool, there is no lanolin [which some people are allergic to] in the alpaca, which often needs to be removed by a chemical process.
“It’s very long-lasting because the wool is strong and soft. You’ll have it for years and years if you mind it. It doesn’t retain odours, so unless it’s stained, you don’t need to wash it.”
It’s “breathable” too, so her range is ultimately “seasonless” and can be worn in winter or summer.
The design/mood board for Cayo knitwear at home in Crecora, Co Limerick. \ Eamon Ward
A self-confessed fashion fan, Orla concedes that she has gone through a personal journey while setting up Cayo and has been converted to the idea of buying less but buying better.
“I’ve completely shifted my mindframe in terms of consumption when I learned about the waste that the fashion industry produces. It’s incredible. You can’t unsee it, and it’s shocking and upsetting,” she says.
While researching, she was also taken aback by the amount of knitwear with huge percentages of plastic derivatives in high-end stores.
“I’m like, ‘Why? These [pieces] are not cheap. They’re expensive products; there is no need to make wool out of plastic. It’s crazy to me. It emphasised even more that there was a need to use alpaca,” Orla adds.
Natural fibres
She believes there is a growing cohort of customers who place value on natural fibres. To this end, she is working with Enterprise Ireland to explore the export potential for Cayo in European countries where sustainability is a top priority for consumers.
The brand also uses biodegradable packaging, using recycled material for labels, and sending a portion of her profits to a school educating children of alpaca farmers.
When her daughter Lily Ann, who is now two, was born, Orla left Apple to concentrate solely on Cayo. She is expecting her second child on Easter Sunday, and while her days are busy, the flexibility of working for herself is very beneficial.
In saying that, she gets great support from her husband, Paul, who hails from farming stock in Offaly, and her family nearby who help her out when she has to jet off to Copenhagen Fashion Week or to meetings.
With a four-day showcase event to look forward to in Kildare Village this October, a new range on the horizon and an impending addition to her family, the next few months look set to be fast-paced for this slow fashion brand founder.
See cayo.ie
Smiling faces with an alpaca wearing a pair of sunglasses and a garland in South America proved to be more than just a holiday snap for Orla Daly.
You could say it was the genesis of a luxury knitwear business for the Limerick native.
When hiking Rainbow Mountain high up in the Andes in Peru in 2019, Orla met alpaca farmers and was captivated by the “super soft” wool of this traditional South American mammal. Curious to see why its use wasn’t prominent in Europe, it sparked the idea for a slow fashion venture when she returned home after three months travelling.
She had never heard of a brand that was 100% alpaca wool only and wondered why, when it was comparable to cashmere.
Orla Daly Lambe with her husband Paul on Rainbow Mountain in the Andes in Peru. She traces the roots of her knitwear business back to this picture.
“I had heard of mixes with alpaca, but it’s not popular over here (in Europe), and people aren’t aware of it, so I thought because of all the beautiful qualities it has and also because of the negative environmental and ethical effects of mohair and cashmere, that it was worth pursuing,” Orla says.
Researching
From there she set about examining in a practical way whether a 100% alpaca knitwear line would work by researching yarn, spinners and knitters.
“It was a labour of love in the middle of lockdown. And I never thought maybe it isn’t a good idea to set up a luxury knitwear brand in the middle of a global pandemic,” she says, laughing, before telling Irish Country Living that her Cayo brand name was inspired by one of the two breeds of alpaca, the Huacaya. “I just think it’s really unique; if I do it well, people will want it.”
It took time to get it right, though, and Orla candidly admits there were “hard times” and even some tears when she wondered if it would ever come together. “I was a year doing samples before I got anything I was happy with,” she explains. “I did wonder, will I ever have anything that I’m proud to sell?”
Despite investigating Irish facilities, Orla says there was neither the appetite nor the supply available to make it work here. Instead, she has sourced the yarn and spinners in Peru. She later found expert Italian knitters, who already work with the well-known brand Ganni, who saw the potential despite never using the yarn before.
Guidance
She was lucky too to have a pattern cutter, who is an expert in knitwear from Limerick School of Art and Design, who gave her huge guidance. Orla, who had always harboured an ambition to work in fashion, also leaned into her own experience as a project manager, most recently for Apple and other major corporates in marketing and advertising. This meant she was able to do the branding, set up her own website and do financial planning in advance to kickstart her new business.
Investment pieces
The first collection of Cayo was launched at the end of 2021, and it has sustained itself since then with a new range of what she describes as “investment pieces” every year.
Although the spring days are warmly welcomed, Orla is thinking ahead to the next fashion season. Autumn is very much on her mind and she is buoyed up by a big order.
Orla Daly Lambe showing off her Cayo knitwear at home in Crecora, Co Limerick.
\ Eamon Ward
Her range of classic jumpers, cardigans and zip-up hoodies may be small, but Cayo is a consistent bestseller in Adare Manor and Granny’s Bottom Drawer in Kinsale, her two current stockists which she is hoping to add to in the future.
Several celebrities have already purchased her knitwear in Adare Manor, and with the Ryder Cup coming there in 2027, there could be more.
Season ahead
For the season ahead, she is planning on adding a hat, scarf and slippers to the range and wouldn’t rule out a special Irish line or collaboration in the future.
Initially interested in cashmere after a trip to Nepal, she turned away from it after learning that the goats are often over-sheared because of demand and they damage the land. In comparison, her alpaca wool product has advantages while retaining the luxury cache.
“It’s excellently made and expertly crafted, with really classic, beautiful fits. But I also want people to know the back story, to understand why it is a better purchase option from a sustainability and environmental point of view, without lecturing people.
“In terms of farming alpacas, you would get enough yarn for five to seven jumpers from one alpaca fleece, whereas you’d need three to four cashmere goats to make one cashmere jumper. You’d need one angora rabbit to make a jumper.”
Alpacas don’t damage the land, she says, but cashmere goats contribute to deforestation.
“Alpacas are very gentle on the land. They require very little food and water for their weight. They graze the grass, as opposed to pulling from the roots, so they don’t destroy the vegetation.
“They are native to where we get the wool in Peru. Us buying the yarn gives the smaller alpaca farmers, maybe with only 10 or 15 alpacas, a fair income,” explains Orla.
Hypoallergenic
The yarn is also hypoallergenic, which makes it a good option for people with skin conditions like eczema. Unlike other wool, there is no lanolin [which some people are allergic to] in the alpaca, which often needs to be removed by a chemical process.
“It’s very long-lasting because the wool is strong and soft. You’ll have it for years and years if you mind it. It doesn’t retain odours, so unless it’s stained, you don’t need to wash it.”
It’s “breathable” too, so her range is ultimately “seasonless” and can be worn in winter or summer.
The design/mood board for Cayo knitwear at home in Crecora, Co Limerick. \ Eamon Ward
A self-confessed fashion fan, Orla concedes that she has gone through a personal journey while setting up Cayo and has been converted to the idea of buying less but buying better.
“I’ve completely shifted my mindframe in terms of consumption when I learned about the waste that the fashion industry produces. It’s incredible. You can’t unsee it, and it’s shocking and upsetting,” she says.
While researching, she was also taken aback by the amount of knitwear with huge percentages of plastic derivatives in high-end stores.
“I’m like, ‘Why? These [pieces] are not cheap. They’re expensive products; there is no need to make wool out of plastic. It’s crazy to me. It emphasised even more that there was a need to use alpaca,” Orla adds.
Natural fibres
She believes there is a growing cohort of customers who place value on natural fibres. To this end, she is working with Enterprise Ireland to explore the export potential for Cayo in European countries where sustainability is a top priority for consumers.
The brand also uses biodegradable packaging, using recycled material for labels, and sending a portion of her profits to a school educating children of alpaca farmers.
When her daughter Lily Ann, who is now two, was born, Orla left Apple to concentrate solely on Cayo. She is expecting her second child on Easter Sunday, and while her days are busy, the flexibility of working for herself is very beneficial.
In saying that, she gets great support from her husband, Paul, who hails from farming stock in Offaly, and her family nearby who help her out when she has to jet off to Copenhagen Fashion Week or to meetings.
With a four-day showcase event to look forward to in Kildare Village this October, a new range on the horizon and an impending addition to her family, the next few months look set to be fast-paced for this slow fashion brand founder.
See cayo.ie
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