Could you introduce yourself?
My name is Greg Lellouche and I'm the founder of an online boutique called No Man Walks Alone. 

Could you introduce us to this piece? Where does it come from? How old is it?
This is my Stephan Schneider "Merino" coat from the fall/winter 2013 collection. I've had it since that fall season and have been wearing it regularly for the last 6 or 7 years.

Did it belong to someone else before you? Did you buy it for yourself? Why did you buy it? How did you find it?
I bought it in a small boutique in the Lower East Side of New York that was called Project No 8. I was stunned by the shape, mix of materials and, overall, how it made me fell when looking in the mirror. One of those rare shopping moment where we feel that we're in the presence of perfection. A perfect match between the garment and the wearer. 

Do you remember the first time you wore it?
I honestly could not take it off for weeks. I wore it whenever the weather was cool enough. It's one of the most fascinating piece of clothing I own, to this day. What I love about Stephan Schneider, and I think that this piece sums it up, is how he draws from classic tailoring and an obsession with fabric design and quality, but adapts them to a contemporary, modern design. Very few other contemporary designers can achieve that balance.

What are your memories related to this piece?
The coat is a bit of a transformer - hood is removable, knitted liner is removable (there must be 40 buttons in that coat!) and every transformation turns it into a great coat on its own. I vivid memories of a two-week trip to Japan when I wore it with the hood and knitted liner on day treks through Kyoto, but then took it all apart and wore it over a suit without the hood on the evening when I proposed to my girlfriend (now wife). 

Are there any signs of wear and tear? Have you already repaired this piece?
I must have worn this coat 200 time but the wool outer is of such amazing quality that it barely pilled or shows wear. A few of the (many) internal buttons have popped with use, the knitted liner has snagged in multiple areas - some small reminders of the time that has passed. I could certainly repair the snagged knitting, but I actually like seeing those wounds, so I have not.

When do you usually wear it? Do you remember when you last wore it?
I wear it more than any other coat. I like to layer is over a sweater and keep it open. I love to travel with it, because of its transformative abilities. I wore it only a couple  of weeks ago, but it's starting to get too warm now. I'm going to have to motive it to the back of the closet and rediscover it next fall.