STITCHED UP

There’s a three year waiting

list for a bespoke, hand knitted

traditional Fair Isle product.

ABOVE: The distinctive monochrome adaptation of a traditional Fair Isle jersey by designer Mati Ventrillon which Chanel mischievously appropriated. FAR LEFT: From golf links to comfy casual wear, the signature Argyle diamond pattern. LEFT: Cables, basketweave and honeycomb shapes that immediately identify a jersey from Aran.

ISLAND STYLE

In December 2015, shortly after fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld had taken to the ramp in his trademark stiff oversized shirt collar and ever present black shades to culminate the presentation of a new menswear collection in Rome, the House of Chanel was forced to issue an apology.

It had appropriated an exclusive pattern of Fair Isle knitwear from designer Mati Ventrillon. Now, unlike Champagne or Port for example, Fair Isle jerseys are not protected by European Law – but Ventrillon’s adaptation of the traditional jersey pattern was individual and her own design. The fact that a few months earlier, members of the Chanel design team visited the island which Ventrillon called home – and bought two of her special jerseys for inspiration was anything but coincidental.

“Chanel recognizes that this situation resulted from a dysfunctionality within its teams, and has presented its apologies. Chanel also recognizes the heritage and know-how of Fair Isle. We wish to emphasize that the house is extremely vigilant in terms of its respect for creativity, whether its own or that of others,” read the Chanel media statement. An abject apology was issued and credit was granted to Ventrillon “as the source of inspiration” for the Chanel garments.

All the rumpus over a jersey? But dig a little deeper and it soon becomes apparent that Fair Isle is about more than just a jersey: it’s a proud tradition of craft and skill, especially since the dwindling population means the number of handmade jerseys from the Shetland island in Scotland’s Hebridean chain is also tailing off. Qualified architect Ventrillon gave up London life in 2007 to move to the rugged, windswept chunk of rock off Scotland’s northern coastline in order to farm her own sheep and eventually adapt the traditional Fair Isle designs. She’s been successful in reigniting interest in the ancient patterned knitwear – so much so that there’s a three year waiting list for a bespoke, hand knitted traditional Fair Isle product since one person can only make between 30 and 40 a year! And a nice price – close to £400/R6 600 – which reflects the artisanal nature of the special, 100% Shetland wool garment.

In an article for CNN, journalist Karen Gardiner wrote: “But Ventrillon believes that, as it is practiced now, the craft is not a sustainable source

IRISH AND SCOTTISH ISLANDERS ARE HARDY, RUGGED FOLK, MANY OF THEM DESCENDED FROM THE NORDIC OR VIKING TRIBES WHO PLIED THE COLD, DANGEROUS WATERS HUNDREDS OF YEARS AGO. SO WHAT DO IRELAND’S ARAN AND SCOTTISH SHETLAND ISLES HAVE IN COMMON WITH KING EDWARD VIII, GOLFERS AND THE HOUSE OF CHANEL?

of income for islanders, beyond a small additional income. She also thinks it’s not likely to attract future generations, given the labour involved and relatively little reward. By developing a business, she said, “that can survive beyond my existence and provide sustainable employment, I will help secure the future of Fair Isle knitting.” So, in a way, the Chanel jumper rumpus made Fair Isle patterns cool again. It’s a proud history which has seen the unique patterns handed down from mother to daughter for decades. Although the pattern is distinctive, so is the technique as it’s only ever a palette of roughly five colours, with two colours per row – and is also knitted in the round. Which means there is no side seam or sewing together of the garment as most other jerseys are.

Probably the most famous person photographed in a Fair

“Oh what tangled webs we

weave, when first we practice to deceive!” *

ABOVE: Rhapsody in blue – Ventrillon’s modernisation of colours is separate from traditional Fair Isle motifs used. FAR LEFT: Aran jerseys too are being updated and now knitted in non-traditional colours. LEFT: Craftsmanship is evident in every single stitch which makes up this hand knitted garment.

Isle item was the former Prince of Wales in 1921 before being crowned King Edward VIII and then abdicating his throne to live in exile as the Duke of Windsor.

There’s something about rocky, craggy islands and knitwear – particularly off Scotland and Ireland. Ireland’s crafted jersey which is famous is the beautifully patterned, traditionally cream-coloured Aran sweater.

Aran is made up of a chain of three islands in the bay of Galway, between county Galway and county Clare. According to island lore, for decades the jumpers were always knitted with raw or unwashed sheep’s wool so that its lanolin would repel water, which was especially handy since they were

made primarily for Aran fishermen who needed to stay both warm and dry in rain-lashed seas.

It’s as distinctive as the Fair Isle sweater but due to its patterning comprising symmetrical cables on the front, back and sleeves, along with basket weave, honeycomb and diamond configurations, notably different and special.

While some sources state that Aran jumpers are ancient, linking the stitches used to Celtic knots and symbols, historians are of the opinion that Aran knitting has only been around since the late 19th century. They peaked in popularity in the late 1950s when Americans fell in love with them after Irish folk music group, The Clancy Brothers, adopted them as their “uniform” for performances in the United States. (And what would the typical American preppy/Ralph Lauren look be without a cable-knit sweater harking back to Aran origins?)

The third iconic form of knitwear is the instantly recognisable argyle. Another knitted garment made famous by the Prince of Wales who wore the sleeveless pullover when golfing. Consequently, golfers have happily adopted the boldly geometric diamond pattern for everything from their caps to their socks. Even America’s golfing President Donald Trump has been photographed in argyle knits!

Wikipedia asserts that: The argyle pattern derives from the tartan of Clan Campbell of Argyll in western Scotland, used for kilts and plaids, and from the patterned socks worn by Scottish highlanders since at least the 17th century, known as “tartan hose”.

Furthermore, it states that the word “is sometimes used to refer to an individual diamond in the design, but more commonly refers to the overall pattern. Most argyle contains layers of overlapping motifs, adding a sense of threedimensionality, movement, and texture. Typically, there is an overlay of intercrossing diagonal lines on solid diamonds.” Fashion brand Pringle has been associated with this diamond-shaped knitwear since the 1920s when the design was particularly popular in the form of socks to accompany the plus-four trousers of the day as well as the jerseys and pullovers.

Two great quotes attributed to Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel are appropriate: “Fashion fades, only style remains the same.” And “Simplicity is the keynote of all true elegance.” Could anything be more simple than a beautiful woollen jersey in a traditional pattern handed down for generations?

*(The quote is from Shakespeare, right? Wrong! It’s commonly attributed to the Bard’s Scottish play, MacBeth, but it was actually penned by Walter Scott from the poem Marmion. Another case of mistaken appropriation ... or accreditation.)

DECODING THE PATTERN Apparently the stitch patterns in an Aran jumper have deeper meanings and symbology. The Honeycomb links to the hard-working bee and praises the insect’s work ethic and efficiency. The Cable is a nod to the fishermen who traditionally wore these jerseys while out on dangerous waters. The Diamond pattern is apparently a blessing for wealth and success while the Basket weave is symbolic of the fishermen’s basket and a representation of hope for a bounteous catch.