It was impossible to go on the internet last holiday season without seeing adorable llamas in almost every advertisement for Christmas-related gifts. You could scroll endlessly for “Fa La La La Llama” products—from Tom’s shoes to Kohl’s "ugly Christmas sweaters"—and searching for “fa la la la llama” turned up over 500 items on Etsy, which reported a 239% increase in llama searches in 2018 ranging from balloons to makeup bags and tree ornaments. And Fa La La La Llama wasn't just reserved for Christmas; there are plenty of “Happy Llamakkah” tees, socks, and onesies on Etsy, too.

But llama-mania is officially no longer just a holiday trend. In fact, llamas are everywhere. There are llama cookies and cupcake toppers, llama pillows and plant holders, llama snow globes, llama rugs, llama tea towels, llama wine charms, llama oven mitts, llama chip clips, llama pajamas, llama notebooks, llama cheese knives, llama...well, you get the picture.

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All of this is to say: llamas are having a moment. A big one. And they’re just the latest creature to make their way from the barnyard to children’s tales to mass market accessories.

First, some background on the cuddly creatures: Llamas are a South American relative of the camel, though they do not have a hump. (But do spit!) Originating in Peru, they're actually the domesticated versions of a wild Andean ruminant called the guanaco—but should not be confused with their cousin, the alpaca, a domesticated version of the wild South American vicuña. In most parts of the world, llamas are prized as both pets and cattle, herbivores known for being smart, gentle, easy to train, and helpful with transportation. (And not as commonly sheared for wool as the alpaca, which produces a softer fleece.)

But here in the U.S. over the past few years, as our culture obsessed over Unicorn Frappuccinos , ran to the salon for mermaid hair , or pinned adorable miniature sloths to their jackets, llamas slowly began to nuzzle their way into popularity. According to the BBC, Pinterest searches for llamas have increased 75%, beginning mostly in Australia before the trend made its way to the U.S. and U.K. And if you might doubt the llama’s ability to dethrone the unicorn as the trendiest creature, in the same time period, unicorn searches on Pinterest declined by 10%, also according to the BBC.

And just like their trendy predecessors, llamas can accompany any aspect of your life. Search “#llamacake” on Instagram, and you’ll find over 3,000 photos of cakes dressed with the Andean mammal, including frosting, sprinkles, cookie tops, and even cupcakes. Last year the folks over at FoodNetwork.com declared the llama the “cutest thing ever," and earlier this month, Nestlé released the latest “Llama Edition” of Smarties candies in the U.K.

But the llama has also made its way to decor—both at parties and in the home. There have been over 447,000 searches on Etsy related to “llamas” in the last three months alone—with a 234% increase in searches on the site for “llama birthday,” a 37% increase for “llama decor,” a 183% increase for “llama invitations," an Etsy rep told OprahMag.com.

“Unicorns and mermaids are stepping aside to make way for real-live animals like llamas, sloths, and jungle-dwellers,” says Dayna Isom Johnson, Etsy’s Trend Expert. (Interested in incorporating the trend yourself? Johnson suggests starting with small accents. "Think printable wall art, throw pillows, and planters.”)



A Pinterest spokesperson emphasizes the fluffy creatures’ popularity on the inspiration-sharing app. "Last year, we saw interest in llamas really take off starting in home decor and moving more into style and jewelry,” says Swasti Sarna, Insights Manager at Pinterest. In fact, data from Pinterest showed that saves for “llama décor” were up 1,094% from 2017 to 2018. It also helps that the llama complements other popular home motifs, such as cacti, succulents, and the general Southwestern style that Etsy is predicting will have a major moment in 2019 , with Pinterest reporting a +235% increase in “cactus arrangement” searches for 2019.



By now, you may be thinking: Okay, okay, I get it, llamas are inescapable. But when, exactly, did llama-mania actually begin—and why?

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Llama-mania first began to rise when Anna Dewdney, author of the children's book Llama Llama Red Pajama, passed away in 2016. Moms like Sabrina Piazza—founder of Living Quarters Interior Design—say that many moms like her began to see the book everywhere, finding it the perfect read for their toddlers. Not long after, the interior designer says she began to notice llamas becoming more present in the design world; artisans like Jonathan Adler were incorporating the animal into their work, and she saw more and more mass market textiles featuring llama prints. Dewdney's impact has also continued to last in pop culture: In 2018, a "Llama Llama" Netflix adaptation of her book debuted featuring Jennifer Garner as the voice of Mama Llama, and the series has been renewed for a season 2.



For another mom, Chrissy Teigen, an obsession with llamas came when she and her husband John Legend became parents to their daughter Luna, who is now three. “Before I was a mom, I would have never known the fascination with llamas and giraffes and anything with floppy ears or anything with a squishy nose,” she told Refinery29 last year. “There are just certain things that they take to and really love.” Teigen is now such a fan that she partnered with Pampers to design llama-themed diapers so that she can enjoy a good #llamabutt whenever possible.

The lasting impact of Dewdney's books has also trickled into children's costumes and toys; there was a 382% increase in llama children’s costumes for Halloween last year, and at the New York Toy Fair, 2019 was named the year of the llama toys, according to Ali Mierzejewski, Editor-in-Chief of The Toy Insider.

Mierzejewski theorizes llamas’ popularity amongst kids is thanks to the fact that they look “silly and weird—and kids love silly and weird things.” Cassie Slane, CEO of Dreamland Fairy, adds that she believes kids today are attracted to animals that are a little less mainstream and obvious like horses, dogs, and bears. “Llamas are quirky—I think kids are grasping onto animals that are a little more eclectic and seem like they’d have funnier personalities.”

The llama toy trend also got a boost from the popular video game Fortnite, which has a llama in piñata form as its primary mascot. The Fortnite llama—known as Loot Llama—has spawned several toys in 2019, including a plush version. But plenty of other llama goods were on display at the Toy Fair, from a llama-unicorn hybrid beanie baby to a llama glitter pool tube and a collection of “Who’s Your Llama?” toys from Jakk’s.

The llama’s South American roots may be another contributing factor to its surge over the past few years. “We love that they live in places generally underrepresented in American children's books so we can teach kiddos about the amazing creatures in our world,” says Gigi Jack, co-founder of Little Llama, a concierge service for children's gifts.

With the llama's dominance of food, decor, and children's toys, it was only a matter of time before the creature went from style trend to social media influencer. The Llama With No Drama Instagram account features “one happy llama,” a stuffed animal who provides a “daily dose of smiles” in photos traveling across the globe, from London to Japan. The account, which has over 140,000 followers, has been gaining traction since it was founded in April 2016 by Eylül Savaş, an LA-based digital marketing consultant and influencer. The account is meant to be a kind of therapy for the stressors of daily life—an idea some have taken more seriously after a student brought four “therapy llamas” to Stanford University’s campus to decrease stress and promote wellness earlier this year.

And yes, llama therapy is a real thing (at least if you live in Portland, Oregon.) “Llamas make people happy, and they actually exist in real life," Little Llama’s Jack says simply. Take that, unicorns.

Temi Oyelola

Perhaps the truest confirmation of this trend came when the llama joined our keyboards last year. A Change.org petition demanding a llama emoji be available on all iPhones and Apple devices led to the company releasing the official llama emoji in 2018.

So whether llamas have invaded our homes thanks to the South American-inspired decor trend or because of an adorable children’s book, it's apparent they are here to stay. Although these enchanting creatures have not yet reached frappuccino-level (what are you waiting for, Starbucks?), it’s clear our culture has a soft spot (pun intended) for these animals, who have the cuteness of sloths, the whimsy of unicorns, but a fuzziness all their own.

Now if you'll excuse us, we suddenly have a desperate need to put on a cozy pair of fuzzy socks covered in...llamas.

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