Since graduating in Art and Languages from Edinburgh University in 1991, Samantha Holmes has followed a rather diverse career path including event organising, publishing, environmental consultancy and most recently selling Glenmorangie single malt whisky in Africa, Middle East and India. It was during her last employment working for a small international trading company importing cashmere from Nepal where she developed her interest in luxury fabrics and traditional craftsmanship. This lead her to alpaca which although relatively unknown compared to cashmere, she feels is equally beautiful. Always passionate about mountainous countries, Samantha travelled to Peru to make contacts with small producer groups who have helped her produce an exclusive collection of handcrafted luxury gifts, comprising fashion accessories, babywear and homeware.   Samantha launched her own Alpaca label in May 2003. She has taken a creative slant on the fibre moving away from the more rustic ethnic designs associated with South American crafts and concentrating on classic, universally appealing designs. Samantha lives on the West Coast of Scotland, near Loch Lomond, with husband and two young daughters, Beatrice and Scarlett.   Samantha works closely with various small independent producer groups in poor communities, mainly in the rural areas surrounding Puno in the south of Peru where unemployment is very high. The groups are principally family businesses and individual home workers who, prior to working for Samantha, despite the fine quality of their workmanship, had never made products for the British and European markets. Since her first contact 4 years ago, Samantha now works with a network of some 500 handknitters. She visits them each year and ensures that they are fairly remunerated and work in good conditions. Each worker normally knits for no more than 4 to 5 hours a day. Samantha is committed to fair trade and whilst her business is not formally registered with the International Fair Trade Association, she adheres closely to the code of practice it promotes. The International Fair Trade Association (IFAT) .