Reverse That Knit

6a00e5508e95a98833011168a215ef970c-500wi.jpg

It's odd how this blog makes quite round-about connections.  I discovered knitwear designer/artist Liz Collins (she is reponsible for something called the Knitting Nation Manifesto… inpsiring stuff…) when I was rooting around in an old Doc Martens collaboration project.  Then it turns out she reads the blog and that lo and behold after almost five years of not showing any collections, she has resurrected her labels for a small collection which she presented at Rendez-Vous New York two weeks ago.  Better yet that I got to see it in the flesh on my last day of New York.  Like I said, designer tradeshows are my sort of relief from the frenetic pace of fashion week.

In her small collection, the emphasis is on textile experimentations, a natural thing considering Liz is the Assistant Professor in the Textile Department at Rhode Island School of Design.  The effect that caught my eyes and ears was this bubble knit reversible technique. Holey knits turn from being neat to distressed as you turn the cardi/jumper inside out to reveal loose strands coming from the holes.  That the name is also called 'bubble knit' makes it even better.  It's a bit tragic of course that I'm so amused by the name.  I can see the technique extended actually so that the shapes are non bubble-like.  Geoemtric patterns, larger more irregular splatter shapes or stripes even…. all looking neat and tidy on one side and when reversed, a new texture emerges.  On knitted dresses, skirts, capes or shorts (you know how I love knitted shorts…) even…

See this is what you get when I personally meet the designers.  I start getting into Etsy Alchemy mode and thinking about all the possibilities… I really need to rein myself in sometimes.

Bubbleknits

11 comments

  1. I really like the concept of one side neat, one distressed. It’s cool that you got to see her work up close and personal.
    And yes, etsy alchemy will be the end of my wallet. LOL.

  2. Liz Collins is great! I’ve got two magnificent sweaters from one of her early collections. They pre-date Rodarte, but are very similar in look to their knitwear. Glad to see my former neighbor getting some attention.

  3. i’m pretty sure that last boy in the pictures of these knits is this guy jackson who goes to risd, because i go there as well. Odd to see him pop up here as I read this blog everyday!

  7. Hi, I have been reading your blog for a while and i love this. She is actually a friend of mine and came to st martins for an exchange programme last term. her things are amazing!
    love your blog 🙂

  8. oops, i didn’t mean liz collin, i meant the girl in the first picture. just happened that her name was liz as well… (well… lindsay)

  10. Cool! I’ve always wondered why more sweaters couldn’t be reversible, it adds such a cool texture to things and doubles your wardrobe’s versatility!

Comments are closed.