Interview: Lynne Hiriak, Cardigan

I first discovered Lynne Hiriak's beautiful line of knits Cardigan New York through Caroline (who models for the lookbook) and immediately fell in love with their timeless and cozy aesthetic. Dedicated to the eponymous item, Cardigan was founded by Lynne in 2008 after stints working with high end designers such as Michael Kors and Derek Lam. I caught up with the New York based designer to discuss Bardot, Birkin and and her rumored 200 and counting cardigan collection!

Where are you and what are you doing right now?

I’m in my kitchen working at my new kitchen table, taking my apartment back (after 8 month-oops!) after moving my design studio out of Williamsburg Brooklyn and back into Manhattan. Love the space, hate the commute!

How did you get into design?

I started sketching when I was young. I was obsessed with dancing and ballet, so I used to sketch all the pretty ballerinas in their costumes. Ballet and costume obsession eventually led me to fashion illustration which inevitably let me to Design.  I had private lessons in high school for foundation art (my mom sent me to privates because she was afraid I didn’t have the talent…) , and then I started getting scholarships to Moore College of Art in Philly for high school weekend fashion illustration programs. And there I was hooked!

How would you describe the Cardigan aesthetic in three words?

American in Paris

Who and what influences your designs?

Each season is always quite different, but the common threads of influence are always iconic women such as Brigitte Bardot, Kate Moss, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Jane Birkin, etc. I love maritime and beach motifs, so you can always spy an anchor every once in a while, and of course Cardigan is famous for our take on the French Stripe. Classic motifs such as Dots are always in my design vocabulary both at work and at home. If you ever came to my apartment, I’ve got dots and stripes everywhere! I lean towards clean, graphic and classic.  It’s also how I personally dress.

Talk us through the design process.

Each season I have a very large board about 10 feet tall that I create that particular season’s mood on. Sort of like a live Pinterest board. On this board, I pin up clothes, photos, tearsheets, proportions I am feeling and objects of the moment. I then translate that into a collection and of course, start with sweaters first. Recently I’ve added several other categories such as cut and sew knits, and silk wovens, so it’s gotten a bit more busy at the studio lately!

Who is the Cardigan girl?

Everyone can be a Cardigan Girl.  Cardigan first came about as a way that a customer could buy into her favorite item in her closet. Sort of like your favorite white shirt, or your favorite pair of jeans, Cardigan was meant to be democratic..Something for everyone because I intended Cardigan to be everyone’s favorite go to piece. The one  you throw in your bag, wear on the plane, continue to keep wearing even after there are holes in the elbows. Now Cardigan has expanded beyond just cardigans because everyone kept asking me for cute striped pullovers. My mantra is to keep it simple, keep it real, and keep it colorful.

Are you limiting your brand’s vision to knitwear or will you be expanding into other garments?

This spring, I expanded into silk print wovens. It came about because I’ve been obsessed with soft silk pieces for a while now, and I honestly just wanted some cute clothes to wear with my Cardigan. I was getting bored with how I was wearing it (jeans), and I’ve been into breezy clothes lately. I’ve always been a print girl, and love to wear them, so I decided to create pieces that I needed in my wardrobe. I created essential staples of tanks, tees, dresses and shorts. Spring is launching on the website next week www.cardigannewyork.com  and I’m pretty excited to roll out the new goods and get feedback from our loyal customers. (hopefully positive!)

How would you describe your personal style and how does that manifest itself in your designs?

I’m a simple person who loves buying in multiples. I have a very simple wardrobe and I have lots of the same items but just in different colors or patterns. I own multiple pair of denim, have tons of  tuxedo shirts, shorts, indian cotton shirts, striped tees and sweaters, sweatshirts, etc. I’m a big accessories person and I shop in multiples also. I have the same bags in different colors, Fringe wedges (I have like 4 pairs), tons of fringe moccasins, lots of ballet flats, clogs clogs clogs, and  tons of leather sandals from Florence. I get obsessed and love to collect as many versions of the same thing. I am also an avid scarf and jewelry person. I own tons!

If you could steal anyone's wardrobe - past or present - whose would it be and why? 

Past- it would be Chanel’s. But It means that I would have to steal her style too. Because I couldn’t pull off her wardrobe without her essence. Her boy meets chic woman style was so cutting edge then.  She was a real renegade, and she dressed so simply. Present- Kate Moss. Her wardrobe is sublime.

What are your 5 wardrobe essentials?

1) Cardigans. Of course. In every possible way

2)My favorite patchwork denim jeans. It cost more to patch it than the jeans themselves are worth!

3) Fringe moccasins boots from minnetonkamoccasin.com

4) All my merino french terry sweatshirts. Two always travel with me

5) My landsend.com  striped sailor tees.

Any beauty rituals?

Yikes. I’m obsessed with beauty now that I’ve turned over 40. (should have started at 30!). I’m into holistic care, so I have pretty much switched over to all natural products. I use a rose face cream from mountainroseherbs.com that is incredible.  I make all my own body oils and fragrances.  I mix several essential oils and give them as gifts to friends. My ultimate secret which I will share is I have been using  an essential oil elixir for my hair from uncleharrys.com for over 15 years that has become my signature scent! I also am a big fan of Peppermint as a cure all and carry it with me at all times. It relieves migraines and hangovers and  helps keep me focused!

What’s coming up next for you?

My Partners in my business are from Peru so I’ve been doing a lot of traveling there lately. I leave again in another month. It’s been very exciting and very rewarding as Peru is so beautiful and rich with culture. I’ve been working more with artisans and getting more involved with making other product besides sweaters and knits. I’m still trying to figure out what it all means, but I am loving every single experience.  My next trip, I FINALLY get to go to Macchu Picchu and I cannot wait!!

Describe your perfect day

My life is so crazy, I love to keep it simple.

Wake up- (preferably upstate NY at a friends house)

Drink my juices and smoothies for breakfast

Swim and be lazy by the river all day.

Drink ice cold prosecco and have a charcuterie with cheese and arugula platter for lunch

Swim and be lazy again

Barbecue outdoors for dinner which includes a mozzarella, tomato and basil salad

Red wine

Lay on a blanket and watch the stars

For more of Lynne's work, visit her website.

Interview: Anna Singh, Chinti & Parker

What better day than the final day of the London collections to celebrate the best that Britain has to offer? Since its launch in October 2009, London based knitwear brand Chinti and Parker has gone from strength to strength creating ethically produced, desirable knitwear in playful yet classic designs. I caught up with one half of the label Anna Singh to discuss stars, spots and stripes!

Where are you and what are you doing right now?

I’m in London at Chinti and Parker’s offices hopping between private press appointments for an exclusive new collaboration that will launch late summer, and my desk where the to do list gets

progressively longer!

How did you get into design?

A moment of madness!

What drew you to knitwear?

I’ve always been drawn to luxe-casual clothing, and this is something that’s intrinsic to knitwear due to

its natural texture and finish. I also have quite an emotional response to wool/cashmere - they’re very

comforting and can evoke some quite nostalgic feelings.

How would you describe the Chinti & Parker aesthetic in three words?

Easy. Chic. Faithful.

Tell us about the ethical approach to your brand.

Our strapline, Conscious Cloth, underpins our ethical approach. It is essentially a catchall maxim

reminding us to consider where and how we produce our garments (organic, fair trade, made in the

EU where possible) and the effect this has on the environment and local communities. In turn, it is a all

to action for our shoppers to be mindful about what they’re buying, hopefully adopting a buy less, buy

better approach.

Talk us through your latest collection. I love all the stars, spots and stripes!

Thank you - we love them too. The main story for our new collection (spring summer ’13) is vibrant

colour. Bright parrot blue, watermelon pink and spring green have a strong presence, and our key star,

spot and stripe styles have been updated in the new palette. We’ve also introduced rainbow hearts, as

both knitwear and cottons - seriously cute. Other exciting print introductions include a hand drawn

irregular grid print, that comes in both dress, skirt and blouse options. The overall vibe is very fresh

and pretty without being too girly.

Who and what influences your designs?

So many things - a blouse of my grandmother, a vintage upholstery fabric, a t-shirt I’ve owned for

years, but which I’ve been hard pushed to replace it’s cut is so perfect, and the colours of somewhere

I’ve just holidayed. It’s pretty varied, and sometimes quite ephemeral.

Who is the Chinti & Parker girl?

The Chinti and Parker girl is really any style aware girl or woman of our age who has either outgrown

the whims of fast fashion, or who was never really seduced by it in the first place. She gets

understatement, values quality and craftsmanship, and wants to feel confident in what she wears, but

without it wearing her.

How would you describe your personal style and how does that manifest itself in your designs?

Fuss-free, a few stylish details (hopefully) and very versatile.

What are your 5 wardrobe essentials?

-The Long-Sleeved Tee in a neutral colour - I wear these year-round as a base layer

-A statement cashmere sweater such as our new Overlapping Polka Dot sweaters, which you can

throw on over jeans for instant impact.

-A Breton Striped dress in fresh colours - it’s an icon of casual chic, but add an element of surprise by

choosing a fresh new colourway

-Our Cashmere cardi is a classic grandpa style and works brilliantly with everything from jeans and

slacks to cotton dresses, and this season’s styles come with bright contrasting pockets.

-We don’t make them, but a decent pair of flat shoes that work with skirts as well as trousers - my

heel days are few and far between, despite my ambitions otherwise!

Any beauty rituals?

Sleep, though I fail miserably at getting enough.

What's coming up next for you?

We are starting to research for designing AW14.. yikes!

Describe your perfect day?

A weekend day at home, baking with my 2 wonderful boys.

See more of Anna and Rachael's work on their website.

Interview: Stéphanie Caulier, I Love Mr Mittens

I first discovered Belgian born, Perth based Stéphanie Caulier's gorgeous line of beanies I Love Mr. Mittens via the ever-stylish Jessie of We The People. Made from Peruvian pima cotton and wool, they are the perfect essential for the cold, winter months and add much needed pizazz to any outfit! From the classic pom pom beanie to the urban turban, Stéphanie's designs are both playful and practical. Enjoy! 
 
Hi Stéphanie. Where are you and what are you doing right now?

I`m at home in Australia, trying to stay cool in front of the air conditioning. It`s very hot in Perth at the moment.

How did you get into design?

I learnt how to knit when I was about 7 years old. My mother and grandmother are both very creative and that must have rubbed off on me. They are so good at sewing, crochet, knitting… I picked up my needles again in 2007 while I was visiting a knitting cafe in New York . After that I started selling scarfs to friends and family and never stopped.

How would you describe the I Love Mr Mittens aesthetic in three words?

handmade-timeless-fashionable

Tell us about the designs you create.

I design handmade knitwear using 100% Pima cotton yarn. Every piece is available in six different colours. The new collection will have different beanies, turbans, scarfs and snoods and in the future I would like to add more colours and slowly add more designs.

Who and what influences your designs?

A lot of things influence me. Movies, books, street style photography,  I read a lot of fashion and interior blogs.

Talk us through the design process.

I have big mood boards that are full of street style photography, colours, squares of stitches I've tested,  patterns and other things that inspire me.

The entire collection is hand knitted with Peruvian Pima cotton. I first start knitting with a basic pattern and check how I have to adjust the pattern to the cotton thread I use.

After that I just keep knitting the pattern over and over, adjust the pattern, experiment with different stitches until it turns into a design that I`m 100% happy with.

I`m not very technical, so when it involves more complicated patterns I get advise from my knitters and we work it out together. At the moment I have about six knitters that help me knitting, each with their own specialty. Every piece is carefully inspected on possible mistakes and irregularities. The quality is very important!

I used to knit for about 14 hours a day, which resulted in a constant pain in my wrists and didn`t leave me much time to take care of paperwork and other work involved with I love Mr Mittens, so it`s good to have knitters helping me out.

They are all very passionate about their knitting and it`s nice to share that interest.

Who is the I Love Mr Mittens girl?

A girl that is fashion conscious and likes to add some knitted staples to her wardrobe. Someone that is looking for quality and a unique timeless piece.

How would you describe your personal style and how does that manifest itself in your designs?

My personal style is very simple and comfort is key.

I love good basics like denim, white t-shirts, timeless designer pieces mixed with Zara or H&M. There is not much difference between my day and night time wardrobe.

Since living in Australia I rarely wear heels and live in Havaianas and sneakers.

The I love Mr Mittens pieces all have a simple, fashionable design that will stand the test of time just like the pieces you will find in my wardrobe and my home interior.

What are your 5 wardrobe essentials?

Isabel Marant sneakers, skinny jeans , T by Alexander Wang t-shirts , I love Mr Mittens scarf/beanie , a black blazer my mother made for me

Any beauty rituals?

Bumble & Bumble shampoo, Aveda smoothing fluid, Aesop Skincare products, Bare minerals powder, black mascara.

What’s coming up next for you?

I`m waiting for my next yarn delivery from Peru. Once that arrives, my knitters and I will be flat out knitting up new stock. I`m also shooting a look book for the first time, the E-shop will be online by March-April and I`m working on a collection in wool.

Describe your perfect day

A day at Margaret River, a wine area south of Perth, with my partner Adam. Just driving from one winery to another, visit all the gorgeous beaches and finish the day with a delicious meal at one of the wineries. 

See more of Stéphanie's work on her website.