From Alpaca to Apparel: A Journey Through Our Production Process ♻️

We are dedicated to transparency in our supply chain and invite you to explore each step that transforms Alpaca fibre into beautifully crafted pieces.

By staying personally involved in our supply chain from fibre to finished product, we ensure each garment is crafted with care of the people we worth with and the planet, inviting you to make conscious and informed choices.

Yarn Production

The journey begins with sourcing high-quality yarn, a critical first step that sets the foundation for our entire production process.

• Alpacas Shorn: Alpacas are carefully shorn over several days to ensure the wellbeing of the animals. At the farms we source from shearing is done once a year, in Spring as it is getting warmer. Multiple experienced shearers work on one Alpaca at a time. This keeps the process very short – a couple of minutes each Alpaca.

 

• Alpaca Fibre Processed: The raw fibre undergoes cleaning, carding, and other preparation processes to prepare it for spinning.

 

• Alpaca Fibre Spun: The processed fibre is spun into yarn, creating continuous strands ready for dyeing or use in their natural state.

 

• Alpaca Fibre Dyed: The yarn is dyed with vibrant, durable colours that complement the natural beauty of the Alpaca fibre, while some yarns remain in their natural, un-dyed state to enhance their unique characteristics.

 

• Yarn Sent to Headquarters: The high-quality yarn is sent to the headquarters of our fibre partners for secure storage, ensuring it's perfectly maintained until needed for production.

Design & Documentation

This stage thoughtfully blends intentional design with strategic planning. We curate mood boards that reflect our vision taking into account previous feedback and using it to refine and guide our design process. Each piece is purposefully crafted with our community in mind, ensuring it meets not just their needs but enhances their daily lives.

• Specification File: Our founder and product developer collaborate closely to create new styles. Each design, along with precise measurements, is meticulously documented in an online specification file. Files are made with both Spanish and English text for ease of translation between Australia and South America.

 

• Fibre and Colour Selection: Each piece is thoughtfully considered for its intended wear, look, and feel, ensuring it resonates with our vision. We carefully select fibres and colours from our curated yarns, crafting garments that embody quality and align beautifully with our aesthetic standards.

 

• Communication to Artisans: Files are sent to artisans and a meeting is held where any questions are addressed in order to start preparing the samples.

 

Sampling

This exciting stage transforms our concepts into tangible samples, allowing us to breathe life into each piece and refine our designs before full production.

• Fit Test: In close collaboration with our artisans, we refine each piece's fit and any changes to the style and sizing. These careful adjustments ensure every creation meets our exceptional standards.

 

• Fibre and Colour Confirmation: We confirm our colours and fibres for each piece making sure it aligns with our intentions for each piece to meet our aesthetic and durable standards. 

 

• Final Approval: Each piece is carefully reviewed and approved, culminating in a final production sample that is ready to transition into full production.

Production Planning

This stage involves calculating production numbers, submitting order quantities to suppliers and organisation of fibres to be sent to each of our makers based on production requirements.

• Production Numbers Planning: This stage requires careful planning and analysis to accurately account for the stock needed across our shop, our online store, and wholesale stockists. Since restocking during the season is challenging due to the care and time involved in making our items, we prioritise deliberate preparation. Through this careful approach, we uphold our values by producing in small batches to avoid overproduction.

 

• Timeline Setting: Production timelines are established to ensure timely arrival for our seasonal products.

 

• Precise Fibre Allocation: Fibre calculations are diligently made, and the necessary materials are sent to each supplier in exact quantities.

 

• Payments Made: We ensure our artisans are paid upfront, supporting their craft and livelihood without financial strain.
  
  
  

Production, Checking and Labelling

In this stage, our artisans' skills and dedication bring each garment to life with their meticulous care and expertise.

• Artisanal Craftsmanship: Each talented artisan creates with their own specialised skill of knitting or weaving. The items are then all finished through washing and with any last meticulous adjustments being made.

 

• Quality Assurance: Each piece is reviewed by our Peruvian connection, Dulce, or a family member of one of the artisans. A select sample of garments undergoes meticulous measurement and quality checks, ensuring that every creation meets our high standards of excellence and care.

 

• Final Touch: The beautifully crafted garments are now ready to be labeled, with our brand, fibre composition and size labels being hand sewn to each piece.
  
  

Packing + Shipping

In the packing stage our artisans carefully pack each piece, using sustainable garment bags as needed, to ensure minimal environmental impact.

With care and attention, each item is carefully boxed and sent to our shipping agent in Peru or Ecuador, ensuring a smooth journey onward to us in Australia.

Receiving

Once the garments arrive in Australia, our La Sierra Team picks up from the airport and transports to our warehouse to ensure timely delivery. Each item is then carefully unpacked, counted, and stored.

Store Arrival & Merchandising

Our garments are now ready to be put in store. La Sierra Team members visually merchandise the store, creating displays to highlight the beauty of each product, inviting customers to explore and enjoy.

Online Readiness

Bringing a product to life online requires an engaging creative process filled with meticulous planning and artistic execution to ensure each piece is beautifully showcased.

• Planning & Styling: Sophie and photographer Maysie collaborate to craft a mood board, envisioning the scenes and stories that will help customers fully imagine the garments as they were designed to be worn. This collaborative effort captures the intentional style and atmosphere each piece is meant to convey.

 

• Location Scouting & Model Hiring: With a clear vision in mind, they scout the perfect location and select a model who embodies the brand’s aesthetic, ensuring that every element harmonises with the narrative they aim to create.

 

• Creative Photography: Maysie orchestrates the photo shoot, capturing the essence of our collections through stunning visual compositions that highlight the intricate details and elegant beauty of each garment.

 

• Post-Production Magic: After the shoot, careful attention is devoted to post-production to enhance and perfect the images, ensuring they tell the unique story of each piece online.

 

• Engaging Online Publishing: Once polished, the visuals seamlessly integrate into our online platforms, ready to captivate and inspire our customers with the beauty and craftsmanship of our offerings.
  
  

 

Getting Products To You

In the final step of our journey, a dedicated La Sierra team member lovingly selects and wraps each product, using sustainable packaging that mirrors our devotion to the environment. Your order is then carefully prepared for prompt dispatch, ensuring it arrives quickly and reliably at your door, bringing a touch of connection, comfort and our warmth into your wardrobe and home.

 We value people, ensuring that everyone in our supply chain is paid fairly and treated with respect. We also celebrate craftsmanship, working with some of the best fibres in the world. These commitments contribute to the cost of our production, which is why our products are true investment pieces. Each purchase you make is an investment in a more equitable and sustainable world.