New York Fashion Week A/W 13
Wednesday 5 June 2013
Monday 3 June 2013
Jenny Kee
Jenny Kee has lived an amazing life thus far and if you haven't read about it yet, you should. I did and it was such a good book, A Big Life, I highly recommend. It's a bit of an awkward book to carry around so I recommend you read it at home, in bed, on a rainy day.
But alas, if you have not read the book I will fill you in on a few things: The artist and designer was born and raised in Bondi, she spent her teen years dancing many a night away in Kings Cross, (famously spending a night with John Lennon) and moving to London in the swinging sixties to work in the Chelsea Antique Market. Travelling the world and gaining many life experiences... So cool.
Returning to Sydney in the early 1970's she opened her famous boutique Flamingo Park in the Strand Arcade. It had bright clothes, gaudy furnishings and every year held an always talked about eccentric fashion show.
In 1974 Kee started deigning knitwear, these jumpers had Australiana icons and imagery on them. They were hand knitted by a group of Sydney based knitters and had an international celebrity following but were made most famous by Princess Diana wearing a koala jumper whilst pregnant.
Whilst these jumpers were only available for sale in her Flamingo Park boutique they were so in demand that a number of books were published to take the patterns to the masses. These had such an influence and many a set of needles started click-clacking away. It really is so incredible; a new style of home knitting revolution was in action.
Jenny Kee put Australia designers on the map, people started talking about wool, a mega trend was created.
Kee has had many other highlights in her career, including designing the silk lining for Karl Lagerfeld’s first collection as head designer for Chanel.
Kee currently lives in the Blue Mountains and on a wall is a beautiful mural she has painted in Blackheath. Whenever I travel home to visit my parents I stop and see it whilst eating the best potato scallops from the fish and chips shop. (Another thing I highly recommend, actually anything you eat from there is great, milkshakes too.) I feel a connection to Kee and am so inspired when looking at this visually stunning mural.
Check these beanies out:
This is only a brief look at the great Jenny Kee. There is so, so much more to see: the many other knit patterns; her recent work with Romance was Born; and her printed silk scarves which you can check out at her website.
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