Blacksaw is the work of husband-and-wife founders Steph and Kyle Taylor, whose brand began on a surf trip through South America. When a major earthquake struck the coast where they were staying, they rode motorcycles up into the Andes, where they discovered the region’s alpaca fiber and decided to build a sustainable business around it. On a fourteen-hour bus ride south, they sketched out the name, the business plan, and the guiding idea of “Meaningful Possessions” on children’s notepads.

Both founders came from the surf industry. Steph, the brand’s designer and creative director, trained in fashion design and spent five years at Billabong. She describes herself as a natural-fiber devotee, and her design approach blends modern and vintage influences into a style she calls “loud minimalism.” Kyle, who leads marketing and partnerships, worked with Quiksilver, Nixon, and Roark Revival before the couple spent two years traveling across Asia and the Americas. Today Blacksaw creates blankets, throws, pillows, and textile wall art from premium baby alpaca and recycled fibers, often in natural, undyed colors and reversible designs. Each piece is made to last for generations, a deliberate counterpoint to fast fashion.