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Six labels and designers are reinventing the idea of knitwear to appeal to the millennial and Gen Z generations.

6 knitwear labels to cosy up with this winter

These indie labels and designers are reinventing the idea of knitwear to appeal to the millennial and Gen Z audiences 

Most of us have that one item stuffed somewhere at the back of our closet that was hand-knitted by our grandmother or great-grandmother, whether it’s a pair of baby socks, a scarf or a sweater. While knitting may be a forgotten hobby that requires effort and honestly, a lot of time and patience, this leisurely pastime is getting reinvented by the millennial and Gen Z generations. We are now seeing more designers giving knitwear a slinky, sexy update, such as Jacquemus, Missoni and Jonathan Simkhai, who have, in fact, made it cool to wear knits in the summer. Within the South Asian community itself, Indian-origin designers and textile artists have taken up knitwear as a means to promote the ideas of sustainability and slow fashion by meticulously recycling and upcycling waste into handmade creations. Here are a few of the knitwear labels we are eyeing to stock up our winter wardrobes with.

Namita Khade:London-based Namita Khade has a different take on knits—her designers are slinky and sensual with cut-out tops and dresses, often knitted with bouclé yarns and Italian linen. Her body-flattering ‘freshwater pearl dress,’ which is hand-knitted, hand-sewn and upcycled using Italian linen and cotton crepe dead-stock yarn, took over eight hours to make by hand and even found a fan in Kim Kardashian. Her ‘knicker dress,’ on the other hand, was created by hand using zero electricity. The Central Saint Martins student, although born in the United Kingdom, finds herself deeply rooted to India with her made-to-order approach to fashion in a field that is largely populated by mass-produced consumerism.Instagram: @namita.khade

Namita Khade:

London-based Namita Khade has a different take on knits—her designers are slinky and sensual with cut-out tops and dresses, often knitted with bouclé yarns and Italian linen. Her body-flattering ‘freshwater pearl dress,’ which is hand-knitted, hand-sewn and upcycled using Italian linen and cotton crepe dead-stock yarn, took over eight hours to make by hand and even found a fan in Kim Kardashian. Her ‘knicker dress,’ on the other hand, was created by hand using zero electricity. The Central Saint Martins student, although born in the United Kingdom, finds herself deeply rooted to India with her made-to-order approach to fashion in a field that is largely populated by mass-produced consumerism.

Instagram: @namita.khade

Margn:Dabbling in unconventional men’s staples, designers Ranjit Yadav and Saurabh Maurya founded Margn in the thick of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. From knitted trousers to vests, the NIFT graduates are committed to the idea of sustainability by using fabrics and materials that are upcycled, ethically sourced and are created using less water. Their collections–which are often featured in the glossy pages of international magazines–are made by the local women in Kullu, Manali, with the made-to-order model to avoid over-production and wastage of resources. The duo also have a regeneration programme which allows you to return their garments after three to five years of wear and tear to be deconstructed and used for their future collections.Instagram: @margnworld

Margn:

Dabbling in unconventional men’s staples, designers Ranjit Yadav and Saurabh Maurya founded Margn in the thick of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. From knitted trousers to vests, the NIFT graduates are committed to the idea of sustainability by using fabrics and materials that are upcycled, ethically sourced and are created using less water. Their collections–which are often featured in the glossy pages of international magazines–are made by the local women in Kullu, Manali, with the made-to-order model to avoid over-production and wastage of resources. The duo also have a regeneration programme which allows you to return their garments after three to five years of wear and tear to be deconstructed and used for their future collections.

Instagram: @margnworld

Rescha:Born to a French mother and an Indian father, Charlotte Chowdhury flits  between two cultures, the influences of which can be found in her creations. Before putting her entire focus on her own knitwear label from 2022, Chowdhury did her groundwork by studying textiles at Central Saint Martins and working at Jacquemus to research and develop the same. From the ‘Jodhpur’ sweater inspired by the textiles of India, to the mini-bra that i handmade to celebrate women’s breasts, Chowdhury’s knits, which are made using deadstock and sustainable fibres, reinforce her Indian roots, starting with the name of her brand ‘Rescha,’ which translates into ‘yarn’ in Hindi.Instagram: @rescha.paris

Rescha:

Born to a French mother and an Indian father, Charlotte Chowdhury flits  between two cultures, the influences of which can be found in her creations. Before putting her entire focus on her own knitwear label from 2022, Chowdhury did her groundwork by studying textiles at Central Saint Martins and working at Jacquemus to research and develop the same. From the ‘Jodhpur’ sweater inspired by the textiles of India, to the mini-bra that i handmade to celebrate women’s breasts, Chowdhury’s knits, which are made using deadstock and sustainable fibres, reinforce her Indian roots, starting with the name of her brand ‘Rescha,’ which translates into ‘yarn’ in Hindi.

Instagram: @rescha.paris

Peoli:With a studio based in Almora along the southern edge of the Kumaon Hills of the Himalayan range in Uttarakhand, Peoli is an initiative started by Abhinav Dhoundiyal and Vasanthi Veluri, textile graduates from National Institute of Design in Ahmedabad. Focused on building a community to support women artisans and their families, Peoli champions the local techniques of hand-spinning, hand-knitting, handloom-weaving, hand-embroidery and using natural dyes to make their garments, the processes of which are well-documented on their Instagram account.Instagram: @peoplidesign

Peoli:

With a studio based in Almora along the southern edge of the Kumaon Hills of the Himalayan range in Uttarakhand, Peoli is an initiative started by Abhinav Dhoundiyal and Vasanthi Veluri, textile graduates from National Institute of Design in Ahmedabad. Focused on building a community to support women artisans and their families, Peoli champions the local techniques of hand-spinning, hand-knitting, handloom-weaving, hand-embroidery and using natural dyes to make their garments, the processes of which are well-documented on their Instagram account.

Instagram: @peoplidesign

Imli Dana:If India had its own version of grunge, it would look like Imli Dana. With the goal to reduce landfill waste, textile artist Shradha Kochhar started Imli Dana in 2022 after discontinuing the indie label LOTA, which she had co-founded. Made in small batches in New Delhi and Brooklyn,  Kochhar’s collection includes everything from crochet bags to vests created from recycled cotton that were shredded from second-hand clothes, all of which incorporate hand-knitting and patchwork techniques.Instagram: @imlidana

Imli Dana:

If India had its own version of grunge, it would look like Imli Dana. With the goal to reduce landfill waste, textile artist Shradha Kochhar started Imli Dana in 2022 after discontinuing the indie label LOTA, which she had co-founded. Made in small batches in New Delhi and Brooklyn,  Kochhar’s collection includes everything from crochet bags to vests created from recycled cotton that were shredded from second-hand clothes, all of which incorporate hand-knitting and patchwork techniques.

Instagram: @imlidana

Claraché:Inspired by the nostalgic era of the ’70s fashion, homegrown label Claraché is the brainchild of Shivani Kapoor, and believes in creating gender-fluid and season-agnostic clothing. While knitwear is a small section of her brand, the limited pieces are handmade and hand-knitted into sweaters, bucket hats and shirts. As a start-up based in Jalandhar, Kapoor believes in slow fashion and has a made-to-order business model to reduce as much waste as possible.Instagram: @claracheofficial

Claraché:

Inspired by the nostalgic era of the ’70s fashion, homegrown label Claraché is the brainchild of Shivani Kapoor, and believes in creating gender-fluid and season-agnostic clothing. While knitwear is a small section of her brand, the limited pieces are handmade and hand-knitted into sweaters, bucket hats and shirts. As a start-up based in Jalandhar, Kapoor believes in slow fashion and has a made-to-order business model to reduce as much waste as possible.

Instagram: @claracheofficial

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