Leaders relax as they don vicuna shawls
Print Edition
AS the host of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit this year, Peru has dressed world leaders with shawls made from the fine wool of the vicuna, a mountain-dwelling creature.
From Chinese tunics to Philippine pineapple shirts, the APEC group has a tradition of getting presidents and prime ministers to don traditional garments of the host country for their annual get-together.
And Peru was not going to disappoint as heads of APEC nations gathered in the capital Lima, with leaders appearing for the traditional “family photo” with long, brown shawls made from the coveted wool of the vicuna — a llama-like animal — draped over their shoulders.
The global power players, among them Chinese President Xi Jinping and America’s President Barack Obama, looked relaxed, smiling and waving as they lined up in alphabetical order according to their countries.
By opting for shawls rather than ponchos, the attire generally associated with the South American nation, Peru may have been seeking to avoid the mockery that accompanied its hosting of the 2008 APEC summit.
On that occasion, world leaders appeared in voluminous ponchos, leading some to poke fun at the unflattering, shapeless garments for resembling potato sacks.
The wool of the vicuna, an animal found in the Andes mountains, is among the world’s rarest natural fibers, making it extremely costly and prized by fashion designers.
A businesswoman working in the fashion industry in Peru said the price of such a shawl would be “between US$1,500 and US$3,000, depending on the quality.”
The vicuna, as the national animal of Peru, appears in the country’s coat of arms.
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