Knitwear: The Knottiest Trend of the Year
Knitwear. The sweater you’re wearing right now, the cardigan hanging in your closet, or the leg warmers sitting in your sock drawer are most definitely all knit.With its commonality, domesticity, and “hybrid position as both clothing and textile,” knitwear is widely underappreciated as a medium of clothing composition. On one hand, it’s understandable; when Fall Fashion Week rolls around there’s a minimum of at least 10 knit pieces in a single designer’s collection. On the other hand, when shifting our view from contemporary designers to emerging creatives and brands known for their knitwear, we’re presented with fun, intricate, graphic knits and accessories.
While unique knits are forecasted to be the it-item of 2022, brands like Missoni, Vivienne Westwood, Maison Martin Margiela, and Issey Miyake have always put knitwear at the forefront of their brand image. In building their brand off of colorful prints and patterns, Missoni has still managed to market their clothing as suitable for everyday wear. Missoni revolutionized knitwear into an art form; using a wide range of vibrant colors, fabrics, and their iconic zig-zag pattern, Missoni embedded themselves into the psychedelic and hippie fashion movements of the 60s and 70s. Turning to Westwood, Margiela, and Miyake, their knits embody the “statement piece.” Vivienne Westwood was a visionary when it came to knitwear. Known as the “Mother of Punk,” a majority of her collections included punky-plaids printed on knit pieces, largely appealing to those apart of the punk movement of the 70s. Today, some of her most sought-after pieces are her knitted corsets, some featuring knit flowers done in a technique Ms. Weswtood invented herself. When turning to the current surge in eccentric knits, it’s safe to say that the influences of Westwood and Missoni are still present in some way or another.
Emerging brands like Lirika Matoshi, Rui, Verconiik, and Chet Lo simply just get it when it comes to what the fashion-forward consumer wants when looking for quality and unique pieces. With an increase in consciousness about the fashion industry’s contribution to waste and pollution, these brands practice sustainable means of production with small-batch or made-to-order releases. Verconiik, owned by Lindsay Vrckovnik, operates out of a Brooklyn studio in which Vrckovnik hand-knits all her pieces. Not only are her pieces mostly one-of-a-kind, but Vrckovnik has woven a signature style into her brand as she specializes in multi-layered, -colored, and -textured pieces. Another individualistic brand is Lirika Matoshi. Reigning in the category of fun, camp, and cool - Matoshi’s knit accessories are what set her apart from other emerging designers. Her collaboration with Beepy Bella features five hand-knit bags decked with sequins and crystals and goes to show just how much you can do with knitting. In an effort to give women in Kosovo the opportunity to use their skills and make a living wage, all her knit garments are hand-knit by a local team of Albanian women. Brands like Matoshi and Verconiik show how emerging designers can influence a shift in the way quality items are produced.
In light of the rising knit craze, these designers are also at an advantage in comparison to major fashion houses. Remember when the JW Anderson Patchwork Cardigan went viral seconds after Harry Styles (icon btw) wore it on The Today Show? Well, knitwear designers were able to jump on this opportunity and started making all different sorts of color-blocked cardigans. Today, we have the balaclava. The second balaclavas started trending in December, Verconiik and Matoshi were able to pick up their knitting needle and list a handful of them for sale.
Hopefully I’ve been able to expand your knowledge on what you maybe thought was a rather boring area of fashion, and if you’re interested in following some cool knitwear brands aside from the ones I listed, these are ones I’m also a huge fan of: (All on Instagram) Amish Universe, LexMeace, Roberta Einer, Tankair Studio, and Liky Florence. ✿
