Kaffe and friends...

In that little room, was another sweater that I thought was just amazing!

It was designed by Kaffe for Scottish Fashion Designer Bill Gibb, for his "Moon and Buddha" collection.



It was in a lit window box of glass - so very hard to photograph.  I almost didn't but decided, what the heck and went for it!


A small closeup photo of this coat appears on page 104 of Kaffe's Dreaming in Color autobiography.  I was intrigued when I saw that photo, and I was DELIGHTED when I saw this sweater displayed at the F&TM!

Kaffe designed the knitwear for Bill Gibb's collection for 15 years!  I've been hunting around the internet for photos but haven't found very much...

But I did find this.....another version of this coat....it's in the V&A storage, given to them by a Mrs. Sandi Lacey.  (I wonder who she is and what else she has in her closet!)  This one has a matching scarf...



Look at this!  "The Harem Suit", from Bill Gibb's Autumn/Winter collection, 1975

Kaffe had, and still has, a love of repeating motifs.....this is a perfect example.  He used it back then in the 70's, and he's still using it today!  It goes to show that a simple design element can be used in so many ways!


On the other side of this window was another sweater that I was intrigued with.....with it being in the corridor leading to the main display room,  it was even more difficult to photograph with the lights and reflections....but here it is....

Cardigan
Hand-Knit wool
1970s
Knitted for Steve Lovi

I went back into the small room and caught it from the
"inside" of the window....absolutely gorgeous!

Steve Lovi was instrumental in Kaffe's first book.... Glorious Knitting.  When he saw all of the knitting in Kaffe's flat in 1983 he said "There's a book in this.  Let's create one!" (page 137, Dreaming in Color).  With Kaffe's designs, Steve's photography and Rowan Yarns (who provided all of the yarn for the book)...the knitting world was turned upside down!  

Steve and Kaffe collaborated on many books, Glorious Knits, Glorious Needlepoint, Glorious Color, Kaffe at the V&A (also published as Glorious Inspiration) and the Family Album!  

The photography in Glorious Knits still is absolutely fabulous...and stands up to the test of time....well, except for those 80's hairdos!

If you don't have copies of these books, check out your local library!

The Harem Suit photo appeared in the book, "Bill Gibb, Fashion and Fantasy, by Iain R. Webb".
There are some photos of Kaffe and Bill in this book, taken by Steve Lovi in 1967.


Up Next?  The main event...the big room at the F&TM!

Happy Knitting!




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Comments

  1. Gawd, I love those boots from 1975.

    Please try to arrange a world tour of Kaffe's exhibit. Ta.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I'm loving revisiting all the blogs that have kindly shared their photos from the KF exhibition!

    ReplyDelete
  3. The man is amazing. And prolific. I greatly admire his work and use of colour, but if I'm honest I have to say I have never been tempted to knit any of his designs. Maybe it's because they look difficult, but more probably it's because his style wouldn't suit me. I look better in what I like to call Urban Hippie attire. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  4. LOVE that yellow circled scarf... and pants!

    ReplyDelete

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