skills|wool
Black printed wool blanket poncho, €535, Kenzo at Brown Thomas
Grey boiled wool knitted coat, €425, Jaeger at Arnotts
DID YOU KNOW
Blue wave drape wool skirt, €855, JW Anderson at Brown Thomas
Black wool blend gown, €2,912, Erdem at Harvey Nichols
Black buckled wool jacket, €1,095, JW Anderson at Brown Thomas
A
round the world Irish style is defined by knitwear. Knitting has been part of Irish life since it was first introduced 400 hundred years ago. Knitting schools were established throughout the country; and it quickly became an industry and a source of income for many households in the 18th century. Today, Irish knitwear designers are making strides abroad. Knitwear designer Lucy Downes who started her label ‘Sphere One’ in 1999 continues to make waves in the fashion world. Famed for her long-line silk skirted knits, Lucy says: “Knitwear is in the blood of the Irish. It is my passion. My aim, in the Sphere One by Lucy Downes collection is to re-imagine all those beautiful stitches and techniques in the world’s very best cashmere, alpaca, silk; royal yarns; to make a new modern Irish design offering for a sophisticated audience.” Honor Fitzsimons another award-winning knitwear designer draws inspiration from the Galway castle she grew up in and uses only traditional textile techniques. Her collections are bursting with colourful creations and metallic threads.
Black wool blend gown, €2,912, Erdem at Harvey Nichols
The Aran Sweater is a symbol of Irish Clan heritage, intimately linked to clans and their identities. Patterns were highly guarded by family clans and passed down from generation to generation. Aran sweaters were often used to help identify bodies of fishermen washed up on the beach following an accident at sea. Many of the stitches used in the Aran Sweater are reflective of Celtic Art, and comparisons have been drawn between the stitches and patterns found at Neolithic burial sites such as Newgrange in Co. Meath. Each stitch carries its own unique meaning. The Cable Stitch is a depiction of the fisherman’s ropes, and represents a wish for a fruitful day at sea. The Diamond Stitch reflects the small fields of the Aran islands. These diamonds are sometimes filled with Irish moss stitch, depicting the seaweed that was used to fertilise the barren fields and produce a good harvest and is a wish for success and wealth. The Zig Zag Stitch, a half diamond, is often used in the Aran Sweaters, and popularly represents the twisting cliff paths on the islands. The Tree of Life is one of the original stitches, and is unique to the earliest examples of the Aran knitwear. It reflects the importance of the clan, and is an expression of a desire for clan unity, with long-lived parents and strong children.
54 | ICA HOME & LIVING | WINTER 2015
053 ICA Winter 2015_Wool.indd 54
13/11/2015 16:47