Why You Should Know...
by Anna Wilcoxon
Why You Should Know Missoni:
The Italian house of Missoni is legendary for its knitwear, being not only consistently recognized as an innovator in stitch and color, but also with origins in knit sportswear. Ottavio Missoni began his knitwear company in 1947, and the design house is now run by his daughter, Angela. The spring/summer collection offers modern interpretations of classic Missoni zigzags, highlighted by just-barely restrained color. The women’s collection was a vision of easygoing luxury, with flattering-on-everyone boat neck tops, dramatic batwing sleeves, and polished color. Some favorite pieces include:
Missoni’s menswear for this season also showcased some amazing knits – a little more bonkers than the women’s collection, but in a good way. Looks for men included brightly mottled cardigans, dialed-up color, and sweaters inset with squares that granny would knit only if she were on the really, really good meds.
Why You Should Know Luella:
British designer Luella Bartley showed a standout collection this season, punctuated by a confident palette of saturated pastels, a refreshing take on silhouette, and dainty cardigans with unexpected details. Anyone doubting Luella’s influence should do their homework – in a 2000 interview with WWD, the designer listed spray paint and Stephen Sprouse as sources of inspiration. Who popped up in all sorts of industry press as a source of major inspiration for Louis Vuitton’s 2009 collection? Sprouse. Bartley’s design directions merit serious consideration.
The spring/summer show included frothy cardigans, leading the overall girly emphasis:
...but also covered the other end of the gender spectrum, showing perfectly minimal boyfriend cardigans:
Boring? Maybe, but I love having an arsenal of endlessly adaptable sweaters like this in my closet. More on-trend stripes too, in this peek at a shell:
