High-end knitwear is usually about perfect cashmere. But chunky
creations
with irregular stitches and quirky proportions are suddenly
becoming cool, thanks to indie labels like Ikou Tschuss, Clare Tough,
and Risto Bimbiloski. They all merge experimental design with
traditional handicrafts, using small armies of elderly female artisans.
“The women know lots of techniques, and I bring a more radical point of
view,” says Bimbiloski of the senior citizens he employs in his
atelier-cum-factory in Ohrid, his small hometown in Macedonia. Claire
Millar of the knitwear company Clare Tough
emphasizes the need to
preserve craft traditions. “It’s so important to protect
their
knowledge,” she says. “It’s almost a duty.” Illustration by Joanna Neborsky
