Denali-area clothing shop claiming ‘Yakutat alpaca’ wares faces $53,000 in fines

A clothing shop near Denali National Park will pay $53,000 in fines to the state of Alaska after telling an undercover investigator that it was selling items made from Yakutat alpacas, which do not exist.

The fines are the result of a consumer protection lawsuit filed in July by the Alaska Department of Law against the owners of a shop known variously as The Himalayan and Mt. McKinley Clothing Co. State prosecutors reached a settlement agreement in November.

State law prohibits someone from falsely claiming that a product was made in Alaska.

According to the state, the clothing shop repeatedly attempted to mislabel foreign products as Alaska-made, something verified by an undercover investigation.

Under the terms of the settlement agreement, the shop will have to pay fines and notify the state before it sells any products labeled as “made in Alaska.” The terms of the agreement expire in 2028.

Originally published by the Alaska Beacon, an independent, nonpartisan news organization that covers Alaska state government.