1. On order basis
All of our coats are made-to-order, meaning we keep no stock on hand. When you order your coat online, you have the freedom to pick the design, colour and size of your coat and notify us of a few select adjustments. We then assess the orders, thereafter creating a production profile for you that gets sent to our workspace to be ready for manufacturing. We are proud to be able to keep our production and majority of our sourcing local.
All of our coats are made-to-order, meaning we keep no stock on hand. When you order your coat online, you have the freedom to pick the design, colour and size of your coat and notify us of a few select adjustments. We then assess the orders, thereafter creating a production profile for you that gets sent to our workspace to be ready for manufacturing. We are proud to be able to keep our production and majority of our sourcing local.
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2. Alpaca wool and processing
Our alpaca wool is sourced from surrounding alpaca farms in the Western Cape. On all the farms, the animals have a lot of land to roam around freely. In summer, they even enjoy cold water showers to better endure the heat. Once per year, the alpacas get a shave and the wool then gets processed at Quenti Alpacas. Quenti Alpaca is run by Steven and Linda, an entrepreneurial couple who started to breed Alpacas in 2009. They converted a barn into a fully functioning mill. The machinery has been ordered from abroad, and Steven and Linda assembled it all together by themselves. Since then they have been experimenting with natural colours to achieve different blends and feels. The only chemical used to process our natural undyed fibre is a spray that is applied on the fibre before being processed through the machine. This coating prevents the fibres from getting electrically charged. 
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3. Felting
The processed wool is sent to our creative workspace in Hout Bay where all the magic happens. Owning the only felt loom in South Africa, Debbie Braunlich of Stonehill Originals, along with Nwabisa Tyobeka, transforms the fine fibre into beautiful handmade felt fabric. The Alpaca wool is felted onto a thin organic silk fabric in order to give it more stability. The felt is being produced with minimal electricity usage. Both, the alpaca wool, as well as the silk, are natural and undyed fibres. Always a social mission at heart, Stonehills Originals not only enhances their own craft, but also teaches ladies in the community how to make simple products out of waste fabric. |
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4. Printing
Our printed fabric is designed by hand in-house and is our representation of South African design. The woven fabric is sourced from a local hemp fabric house. Unfortunately, South Africa doesn’t have any local hemp fabric at the moment, and therefore the organic hemp is imported. The woven fabric is then screen printed at a nearby print house that prides themselves in being the local leaders of eco-friendly fabric printing. The print paste and coatings used are all water based and contain no harmful chemicals. 
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5. Production
Currently our coats are constructed by two amazing seamstresses, Liaan Delane and Fawzia Kagee. Fawzia is an independent seamstress and pattern maker living in Kensington. She applied her advanced skills to perfect the coat patterns. Liaan lives in the neighbouring community, Hangberg. She is not only working at the Workspace in Hout Bay, but also makes products for her community. At the moment, she is only working on an hourly basis, but Robin Grey is determined to provide her with a stable income, as well as help her to further enhance her skills. 
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6. Trims
Thread and zips are sourced locally from thread manufacturer, HGH Threads Industrial and Zips are custom produced in small minimums. Unfortunately, we couldn’t source any local wooden buttons. Therefore, we had to import a set of buttons from Hong Kong. We are working toward sourcing or establishing a local alternative in the future. 
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7. Waste Processing
When ordering wool for felting, about 30% wastage has to be factored in for during the washing process. This wastage consists of wool fibres that are not the required micron (i.e. length and texture of wool). This wastage has not been factored into the coat cost as of yet, as we will keep some aside for Stonehills Originals to be made into insoles or use it as stuffing for kids toys. We also turn the bigger pieces of felt and print fabric waste into laptop sleeves. At least 1 laptop sleeve can be produced per coat. All the smaller pieces are also used by Stonehills Originals to make products such as baby shoes. Due to the easy skill level, we use these products to teach ladies in the community. This process allows these women to learn skills whilst also earning a small income. 
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8. Packaging and delivery
We promise the use of only biodegradable material for our packaging in the form of cardboard boxes which are also bought locally. Cost for shipping is not included in the coat price but is worked out for each product based on destination zone and on the weight of the package, which is 1kg. The CO2 emission varies based on your destination. (*For calculation estimate we chose London as a destination) |
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9. Tree planting
We believe that it is important to maintain an ecosystem’s balance. Therefore, Robin Grey partners with the spekboom foundation. The Spekboom Foundation is a South African organisation that plants Spekboom in communities. Spekbooms are indigenous to South Africa and have an amazing ability to absorb a high degree of Carbon from the air. One hectare of Spekbooms can remove up to 4.2 tonnes of CO2 per year. There are approximately 100’000 spekbooms per hectare. This allows 1 spekboom to asborb 0.042 kg per year. The bigger the spekbooms grow, the more CO2 they absorb. We understand that the price of the coats are already quite high. Therefore, we want to give you the option to decide if you want to additionally purchase spekbooms with your purchase. Each spekboom costs R 70 ($ 5.20) to be planted. You can purchase these directly from the online shop. 
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