Men's knitwear designs: wearable works of art?
These knitwear designs for spring ensure we're wearing our art on our sleeve

Dougal MacArthur - Photography
There’s long been debate about whether fashion design constitutes art, but for S/S 2021, men's knitwear creations made a convincing creative argument. A host of brands used clothing as a canvas, interpreting the gestural strokes of figurative portraiture and the globulous bulges of ceramic forms within their folds.
At Dior, Kim Jones was compelled by the emotive and bold brushstrokes of Ghanaian portraitist Amoako Boafo, who had his first solo exhibition at Mariane Ibrahim Gallery in Chicago last autumn. In a tactile and tonal twist, a figure inspired by Boafo’s oil on canvas ‘Yellow Dress’ has been translated into an intarsia motif on a cashmere roll neck.
Sweatshirt, £1100, by Loewe
Jonathan Anderson showcased the figurative work of Catalan illustrator and designer Pol Anglada in his eponymous brand’s spring collection. A fiery chunky knit weave cardigan features a brow-furrowed face, inspired by illustrations in Anglada’s father’s comic book collection.
At Loewe, where Anderson is also creative director, the designer achieved state of the art style, nodding to the figurative works of Paul Cadmus, whose portraits paid homage to the male form. A jacquard wool jumper translates the egg tempera brushstrokes of Cadmus’ ‘The Inventor’ into fabric.
RELATED STORY
The oozy, molten forms of ceramicist Brian Rochefort inspired Berluti’s Kris Van Assche, who transformed the colourful glazes and lava-like textures of the LA-based sculptor’s pieces into prismatic jacquard jumpers. Their knitwear fabrications evoke the appearance of Rochefort’s works, which seem to overflow with dribbling glazes.
Jumper, £1220; trousers, £840, both by Berluti. 'S28' chair, £1000, by Pierre Chapo, from Béton Brut
Cardigan, £940, by JW Anderson
INFORMATION
A version of this article first appeared in the April 2021 issue of Wallpaper* (W*264) – available to download here
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
-
The Mercedes-Maybach SL 680 Monogram Series is an eyeful as well as a mouthful
Mercedes-Maybach’s first-ever sports car is comprehensively ‘wallpapered’ in the brand’s double-M design. We sampled this monogrammed machine on the coast of Ibiza
-
Melanie and the Miner's Strike: the joy of Leeds nights out in the Eighties
In 1984, Melanie turned 18. In a new photo book, Melanie & the Miner's Strike, her daughter gathers together the evidence
-
Mircea’s body washes are a sacred antidote to TikTok’s ‘everything shower’
Personal care brand Mircea, named after the author of The Sacred and The Profane, presents a poetic approach to daily bathing. Wallpaper* sits down with its founder Stéphane Chambran to find out more
-
Summer games, from pétanque to pool floats, get a fashionable spin
From a luxurious pétanque set to pool floats and playing cards, summer games and toys from the world’s best-known fashion houses
-
‘Modern beauty’: Pieter Mulier on his new vision for Alaïa
As creative director of Alaïa, Belgian designer Pieter Mulier honours the timeless vision of the maison’s founder while rewriting the past anew. Here, speaking to Jack Moss, he tells the story behind his first year at the house
-
Inside JW Anderson’s dreamy, colour-soaked collaboration with Moncler
Made to ‘entertain the eye’, Jonathan Anderson’s third collaboration with Moncler is a dreamlike outing defined by the designer’s deft use of colour
-
Mariella Bettineschi’s feminist artworks survey guests at Dior A/W 2022 show
As guests gathered at Dior’s A/W 2022 womenswear show venue in Paris, sets of duplicated eyes stared down at them from the artworks of Mariella Bettineschi
-
Paris Fashion Week A/W 2022: Chanel to Miu Miu
In this extended report, Wallpaper* updates you live from Paris Fashion Week A/W 2022 shows, with rolling coverage as runway events unfold
-
Scene-stealing runway sets from A/W 2022 menswear shows
A Kubrickian space odyssey at Prada; a recreation of the Pont Alexandre III in Paris at Dior; and colourful, artist-created flags at Loewe: explore the best runway sets from the A/W 2022 menswear shows
-
Dior recreates Paris bridge, Pont Alexandre III, for A/W 2022 show
Dior recreated Paris’ landmark bridge, Pont Alexandre III, for its A/W 2022 menswear show, which took place on 21 January 2022, the date of Christian Dior’s birthday
-
Paris Fashion Week Men’s A/W 2022: Louis Vuitton to Loewe, Dior to Hermès
In this extended report, Laura Hawkins reveals 9 highlights from Paris Fashion Week Men's A/W 2022. Including: Virgil Abloh's final collection for Louis Vuitton; Rick Owen's riff on sleaze; elfin-inspired accessories; and a celebration of slouch and surrealism