THE MAKING OF MOLLY
We made a little documentary about the making of Molly. It shows our ideas and thoughts behind the her creation and also some of the stages and people that we worked with along the way. If you'd rather read than watch, there is also some more information about her below. Enjoy!
Molly is made from the combined wool of Masham and Blue faced Leicester sheep. It is the combination of wool from these Heritage English breeds that makes a yarn that is both soft and durable - exactly what you want from an a piece of knitwear.
Among the farmers rearing these specialist breeds are Louise and Martin. We visited their farm in the beautiful Yorkshire Dales where they breed the most lovely flock of Masham sheep. A Masham sheep's fleece is crinkly and long and and a soft golden colour - it's really a very beautiful thing to behold. The harsh Yorkshire climate encourages a resilient and strong fleece - the perfect thing for a piece of knitwear designed to last and last.
A sheep's fleece goes through quite a few processes before it is recognisable as the balls of wool we might be familiar with. The fleece must be washed, combed, brushed and combed again. It looks like fluffy clouds of marshmallow at this point. The wool is then spun and twisted. If the wool is to be dyed, this would happen now, too.
Once our yarn is spun, it's sent off to the factory where our design is turned into reality. Technicians work their wizardry on giant knitting machines which are threaded up with all the right colours. The cardigan emerges shape in its component pieces : sleeves, back, front. These pieces are carefully joined in a process called 'linking'.
As soon as the cardigan has been linked together, it goes for a quick wash. We don't use any chemicals or detergents for this - just water. Washing the cardigan in gentle heat makes it fluffy and soft - just way we want it. All that's left now are the finishing touches - buttons are added (ours are hand-cast in pewter by a lovely lady called Lizzie) and labels are stitched. And there you have it! A British jumper, ready to be worn and loved.
DELIVERY AND RETURNS
DELIVERY
Royal Mail, delivery usually in 2-4 days. Online tracking available.
Royal Mail. Please order by midday to guarantee your order is dispatched for next day delivery. Orders placed after 12pm may not be dispatched until the following day. Orders placed on a Friday will arrive on Monday. Online tracking available.
ADDITIONAL INFO: EUROPEAN DELIVERY CHARGES AND RETAIL PRICES - POST BREXIT
Each country is subject to their own laws for import of goods, taxes and duty, and unfortunately these costs will now need to be covered by EU customers. These charges are subject to the different tax laws imposed by your individual country, so we therefore ask that you refer to guidance from your local governing body regarding importing goods from a UK merchant.
Our pricing structure is set to reflect only one retail price across all our international platforms, so all customers pay the same retail price regardless of location. Import taxes/duties will most likely be charged on arrival by the country of destination, and this is not imposed by Palava. We thus advise looking into your country's relevant information on taxes imposed on import of goods from UK merchants.
As a UK merchant we are no longer required to charge VAT at source for exported goods to the EU. This means our VAT tax obligations now only apply to sales within the UK and Ireland. However, after reviewing our increased administrative and delivery costs for EU orders, we have decided to maintain our current retail pricing across all our international platforms.
All our customers will pay the same standard retail price regardless of location. In addition, our pricing and postal fees will NOT increase even though our administrative and delivery costs will vastly increase by 15%. We will instead absorb and maintain any price increases in postal costs to several of the European countries.
We will also look to offer additional discounts on delivery costs from the UK to several European countries in the future, as we appreciate the new change will affect everyone. We are continually reviewing the guidance as the current BREXIT / EU regulations and changes introduced are subject to further updates. Our website will be updated with further guidance and policies to reflect any new regulations imposed. We hope this information is helpful, and explains why we won't be in a position to offer different retail prices for EU customers.
FAQ
1. Will I have to pay more now for EU delivery?
No, we haven't increased our delivery fees for EU customers, despite increased costs to ship to EU countries. Instead we have absorbed the additional postage costs and staff resources for the paperwork.
2. Do you take off the VAT for EU customers?
Our pricing structure is set to reflect only one retail price across all our international platforms, so all customers pay the same retail price regardless of location. As a UK merchant we are no longer required to charge VAT at source for exported goods to the EU (our VAT tax obligations now only apply to sales within the UK and Ireland). However, after reviewing our increased administrative and delivery costs for EU orders, we have decided to maintain our current retail pricing across all our international platforms. All our customers will pay the same standard retail price regardless of location. In addition, our pricing and postal fees will NOT increase even though our administrative and delivery costs will vastly increase by 15%. We will instead absorb and maintain any price increases in postal costs to several of the European countries. We will also look to offer additional discounts on delivery costs from the UK to several European countries in the future, as we appreciate the new change will affect everyone. We are continually reviewing the guidance as the current BREXIT / EU regulations and changes introduced are subject to further updates.
3. Will I be charged for Duty/Tax by customs on arrival of my parcel?
You may be charged tax for your order on arrival by the country of destination and this is not imposed by Palava.co, these taxes are referred to as “Import Taxes”. We thus advise looking into the national taxes imposed by your country on the import of goods from UK merchants. We are currently updating our website with further guidance (www.palava.co/delivery) to reflect information on “Duty and Tax on Arrival”. All EU/European sales will now be subject to import charges (Duty & Taxes), as this is seen as an import into your individual country. We have seen in the past that not all international sales are subject to import duty and taxes, but that does not mean that on arrival the individual country will not impose these charges. Charges on imports are often based on the destination country, product type, product value, county of origin, and declaration of use of goods. If goods are of a low value certain countries may not impose duty charges, but we highly recommend you look into the guidance provided by the local governing body that manages your country’s imports and tax charges.
4. Can I claim any tax back?
For the sale of goods from Palava.co you can only claim for import taxes, taxed on arrival into your country, if you are locally registered for VAT (Value added taxes). If you are registered, then you may be able to claim back import taxes. This tax treatment is decided by the governing body of the customer “importing” the goods. All countries have different laws and rates, and we cannot estimate or reflect any examples of such charges as these are based on country, product type, product value and declaration of use of goods.
RETURNS
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PRIVACY AND COOKIES POLICY
COOKIES
For our main correspondence address, please contact:
8 Selkirk House,
Bingfield Street,
London
N1 0AB
Were It All Began...
Once upon a time... in a small town called Yarm on Tees there was a family owned shop called Strickland and Holt. To this day it is no ordinary shop and is well worth a visit if you find yourself nearby. Passed down through the generations since 1854 this small department store has taken many forms - from a wine and spirit merchants to a chemist to the gift, toy and clothing shop it is today.
In 1974 Stephanie Holt and her husband Michael left London and returned to Yarm to to see what they might do with the family business. Strickland and Holt became the birthplace of Poppy (now called Palava). Poppy initially made children's bedding from prints designed by local artists and it wasn't long before Stephanie and Michael were selling to the prestigious department stores Harrods and John Lewis. The company branched out into clothing and continued to make collections until the year 2000.
What Happened Next?
It was not until 10 years later that the youngest of Stephanie and Michael’s four children decided to bring Poppy back to life. Bryony moved back to the family shop and set to work.
Starting with children’s designs, Bryony began to draw her own illustrated prints, taking inspiration from the storybooks she had read as a child, such as Milly Molly Mandy and the storybooks of Eve Garnett.
Soon, Bryony's friends were asking about dresses for themselves and before long, the womenswear collection took shape.
Today and going forward
'Poppy' became 'Palava' a few years ago and Bryony now heads up a little studio in London rather than Yorkshire, but apart from that, the spirit of this little family business still remains. Stephanie and Michael still help out at the Yorkshire warehouse and the beautiful prints are still what Palava is known for.
We make clothes for real women and children - who live, love and laugh. Real women with real bodies and real lives. Real women who forget their keys and who have that extra slice of cake with their tea. Real children who have muddy knees and wild imaginations. We celebrate living colourfully and creatively and we will always do our best to bring an extra bit of joy to your day through our clothing.
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