Beyond the Grid - From the Andes to the Runway: What I Learned in Peru with Conscious Commerce

Welcome to the first edition of Beyond the Grid—a new series where I share work and stories that never made it to the feed.

Nevado Sabancaya spilling some ash on the road to Colca Canyon.

I’m kicking things off with a trip I took back in March 2017. I was in Peru with Conscious Commerce—a company co-founded by Olivia Wilde—to document how alpaca wool production is evolving in the highlands. These images have never been seen before… Until now.

From Lima to Colca Canyon

We started in Lima, then made our way up into the mountains through Arequipa, and eventually into Colca Canyon. The landscapes were wild and beautiful, but this wasn’t a sightseeing trip—it was about understanding the realities of an industry that often feels worlds away from the stores and runways its products end up in.

Somewhere between the city and the sky. Arequipa with El Misti holding the horizon.

The texture of the street matched the texture of her clothes—worn, layered, and holding stories.

The road above the tree line.

A long ride, a big landscape. En route to Colca Canyon.

A wild Vicuña reflecting off the water.

One of the most eye-opening parts was learning how the farmers are being educated on wool color genetics. The simple idea that mating a black alpaca with a black alpaca will reliably produce black wool—and that this matters deeply to the U.S. fashion industry, where certain natural shades are more desirable—was something many had never been taught before. Same goes for white on white. It sounds basic, but for generations, wool color was left to chance. Now it’s becoming a strategic choice.

A famer and his ‘white’ Alpaca’s.

Alpaca crossing the canyon road. Tire marks in the background tell the story—cars speed through here at night, and too often, the animals don’t make it.

But the most complex part of the trip wasn’t about animals—it was about people. The traditional gender roles in these remote communities are shifting, slowly and not always smoothly. Women are beginning to earn real income from garment production, taking on work that used to belong solely to men. That’s creating tension. In a few places, we had trouble interviewing women because their husbands were visibly uncomfortable or outright refused. There’s pride, but there’s also resistance. Change isn’t always welcomed, even when it’s necessary.

One of the female fashion workers we interviewed who’s now the primary earner of the household. Also looking after 2 kids under 2 years old.

Her husband wasn’t overly happy with us being there and wouldn’t allow us back in to the property for his wife to sign the interview release forms.

Female workers as far as you can see in the factories producing garments for tourism.

This wasn’t just a story about wool—it was about identity, power, and the slow, uneven march of progress.

Eight years later, these photos still sit with me. Maybe even more now than they did then.

This was the first story I knew I needed to tell off the grid.

Thanks for reading Beyond the Grid, Vol. 01. Next up: something closer to home.

---