Boyfriend blazers, opaque black tights, skinny jeans—the best trends are the ones that work year round.  Then there are those fall clothing purchases that you just had to make—like leather boots and thick, knit sweaters—but they go straight to the back of the closet when the weather gets warmer.

Several collections that premiered at this year’s Mercedes Benz New York Fashion Week were ready-to-wear lines that work all year long.  One of the most popular functional-year-round, no-hassle trends featured at fashion week? Alpaca fiber.

Alice + Olivia designer Stacy Bendet’s collection shown at Fashion Week had an air of 1920s opulence, featuring layered skirts, flashy beading, embroidered embellishments, and alpaca stoles.

Costello Tagliapietra’s fall line inspired by New York in the 90s had one stand-out look: a vermillion coat dress styled with an alpaca fiber hat, alpaca mittens, and golden satin platform heels.

Peruvian designer Sergio Davila’s collection combined images of the two Americas—both North and South.  Praised for the use of high quality fabrics, Davila’s line boasted several outerwear pieces made of alpaca wool.

Yet another Fashion Week legend—Calvin Klein—showed a women’s wear collection by Francisco Costa that included several modern, structured pieces made of alpaca fiber, from dresses to full suits.

Alpaca wool year-round may sound crazy, but alpaca is different from many other thick, heavy types of fur that are reserved only for the warmest of winter coats.  Alpaca fiber certainly is the warmest of the all-weather friendly materials; its fibers have microscopic air pockets that provide insulation to keep you warm during the winter, but these same air pockets also allow for the material’s breathability which keeps you cool during the summer.

Alpaca wool is also convenient year-round because of its weight (or lack thereof).  The microscopic air pockets make the fabric light as air, making alpaca clothing the perfect stylish fashion accessory that you can easily throw in your carry-on for any trip, from a ski session to a night out on the town.

Durable yet oh-so-soft, alpaca wool is the ideal fashion-forward trend that you can sport year round.  It’s no wonder why it is a central feature of many top designers’ lines this year.  The oldest and most experienced name in Alpaca, Kuna, is available on www.AlpacaCollections.com.  Alpaca Collections is the exclusive ambassador of Kuna brand alpaca garments in the United States and Canada.