How we make amano

A lot of work and creativity goes into making a hand-knit sweater in South America for sale around the world. We thought you’d find it interesting to know how it’s done today and how we got here.

Locally produced “rustic” knitwear

When we first brought sweaters back from South America in 1988, we found them in a local market in Ecuador, and they were well priced in the region of $20 USD (£16 GBP).  We sold on a market stand in St Martin’s Lane, London before Christmas, they were very popular and sold out quickly. We sold them for around £50 if my memory is correct.

We had lots of problems with quality such as different sleeve lengths, colours running, the knitter’s hair caught in the knit, bits of vegetation etc. I remember receiving a pullover back from a customer who had sent a small envelope of what they had found in the basic yarn the sweaters were made from: bits of straw, grass, burrs and hair. It mattered less then because of the ‘rustic’ style and the price was very competitive…. but it still mattered.

 

 

Iconic knitwear designed exclusively for amano by amano

We now sell our knitwear in a price range between £150 to £300. The quality is excellent with the yarn being brought in from Peru, where there is the highest quality sheep and alpaca wool, whilst being farmed responsibly and sustainably by respected wool producers. The cost of the yarn is now in the ‘’luxury” sphere appropriate to its refined nature.

Hand-knitting a garment of high quality using such yarns imbues a wonderful individual character and each piece is slightly different.

The consistent orders from Amano throughout the year enable the knitters to have a steady income; we don’t order thousands, but what we order is produced steadily throughout the year. We work on a preorder basis for the more popular designs so that we are not producing speculatively.

This is not “factory” work, rather the knitters will work when they have spare time away from the fields or other jobs they might have. They will go to a friend’s house and sit around knitting and chatting away. It is the ability to pick and put down the knitting that is so attractive to our knitters.

We have moved the knitters wage substantially upwards corresponding to the quality and degree of difficulty in the knit. The knitter’s craft continues to improve, making the skill financially more rewarding, ensuring the final product is the best in the market that can command the price in the highly competitive fashion world.

Many companies structure their business to provide a great price, amano believe in getting a high-quality product knit in a friendly and fair environment; hearing the laughter and gossip of the knitters is a joy to hear, and this, I’m sure seeps into the wool and stitches that come together and adds to the character, the extra something.  The quality of design and production being the core of amano, you could say the soul of amano.

Pricing

Given the more complex nature of design and production, our costs have increased in line with the quality and range of knitwear we have produced.

A typical Amano sweater costs between £180-£300 in the shops depending on the design and yarns used. For example, the Star Jumper, which has been a customer favourite for over 20 years and costs £255, has the following cost and pricing structure.

Star Jumper (Cost example)

Design and production management – 15%

Hand-knitting including labour and yarn – 30%

Packing and shipping – 10%

Distribution and marketing costs (online and wholesale) – 10%

Office and overheads costs contribution – 5%

Value added tax – 20%

Profit – 10%