All STUDY 34 knitwear styles are designed in Eleanor's Newcastle studio. With particular focus on fit, drape and quality, each style is designed with your comfort and convenience in mind. Fibre mixes and colour options are also considered at this stage of the design process as well as shape, neckline and other details.
Eleanor works directly with Teresa, the production manager at Incalpaca in Arequipa Peru, where STUDY 34 knitwear is made.
All the yarns used in STUDY 34 knitwear are made up of 100% natural fibres of the highest quality. Currently in the collection you will find baby alpaca, royal alpaca and Pima cotton. All the fibres are spun into yarns at the Inca Tops factory, also located in Arequipa Peru.
The alpacas are reared in the central and southern regions of Peru and their fibre is sorted and graded by hand according to each individual fibre quality. It is a process so specialised, it cannot be mechanised.
The highest grade of alpaca is known as 'royal alpaca' and is the rarest and most sought after. 'Baby alpaca', also a premium fibre, is sourced from the finest 20% of the adult alpaca fleece.
Pima cotton is a luxurious, soft and durable cotton grown in the northern coastal valleys of Peru. The naturally rich soil and equatorial temperatures make for the perfect growing conditions for this luxurious fibre.
Once the yarn for each individual style has been selected, ordered and dyed if necessary, Inca Tops deliver it to Incalpaca and the production of STUDY 34 knitwear can begin.
Everything, from the knitting of each style to attaching the labels and pressing the final garment, is done by the production team at Incalpaca. Once finished, the garments are packed and sent directly to the STUDY 34 studio in Newcastle.
This entire process, from initial design to full production, takes approximately nine months. And each jumper is certainly worth the wait.
