Ahoy!

Khaite via Matches Fashion

Chloe via Matches Fashion

Vanity Fair Italy July 2018

Marie Claire Australia

Vanity Fair Italy July 2018

Criss-Cross

Elle France March 2018

BCBG Max Azria-Spring/Summer 2018

Craig Lawrence Knitwear

via TF Knitwear

Sheer & Opaque

Harper's Bazaar Thailand February 2018

IMG Originals January 2018

Armani Resort 2015

VPL Spring 2014

Split Down The Middle

Teeth Magazine

Stop & Start Ribs

Nellie Partow Spring 2017

Nellie Partow Spring 2017

Celine Spring 2016

Rib Splicing

Celine

Eudon Choi Fall 2016

Marc Jacobs

Transfer Ribs

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United Arrows Japan

Transfer Ribs | Victoria Beckham S/S 2016

The white, the fluidity, the fuss-free attitude.  Victoria Beckham's Spring/Summer 2016 Collection did exactly what she set out to do: surprise.  

While I've always credited her with being a serious designer rather than another celebrity engaging in a vanity project, I can't say I'm a typical Victoria Beckham customer.  However, now that all the Spring collections are almost on sale I went back and took another look at her show and I can safely say I've been converted.  I want these clothes!  No gimmicks mucking up the presentation or towering heels suitable only for women who scoot around town with private drivers.  These clothes almost literally could walk off the runway and into someone's daily wardrobe rotation...money aside of course.

As a knitwear designer I am truly impressed with the technical prowess of these rib knits.  While there's a hint of Celine here, Beckham has carved out a new niche for herself with these silhouettes; something softer and less overtly sexy yet still sublimely chic.

All images courtesy of vogue.com

Multi-Directional Ribs

Acne Pre-Fall 2015

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Proenza Schouler Fall 2016 | Tie-Me Up

An absolutely stand-out collection that featured knitwear in a compelling, interesting, and wearable way.  Rarely does knitwear take center-stage as a collection's point of view.  Usually, I can just extract a great statement sweater from a designer's runway and know that the woman who buys it will inevitably wear it with jeans; which is fine too, but these are definitely not that.  These are "pieces" to covet.  Fabulous!

All photos courtesy of vogue.com

Trend-Tracking: Riding the Celine Rib Train

Celine's Phoebe Philo has clearly liked the architectural modernity that a sleek rib sweater can convey in the past few seasons.  Hers is of the squishy, synthetic variety sculpted with a techy viscose/polyamide blend yarn which allows the sweater to bounce and vibrate against the body rather than vacuum sealing it like a piece of beef jerky.

Ribs not only can be tricky to wear, they're often overlooked as outfit completers, unobtrusive and uninspiring, but as of late they have been the unsung standouts in many a designer's collection; most notably in dresses with beautiful rib transfers and floaty ease in fresh shades of white.  OK, so maybe white rib dresses aren't so easy to wear and these are more than a bit derivative of someone else's vision but they just look so good...

Jill Stuart S/S 2016

Victoria Beckham

Prabal Gurung

Derek Lam S/S 2016

Plaited Ribs

W Magazine Sept, 2015

T by Alexander Wang 

Modern Poor Boy Ribs

Celine Ad Campaign Fall, 2015

Protagonist available at The Line

W Magazine Sept, 2015

WSJ Magazine Sept, 2015

Fine Gauge Ribs

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Mango

Elle UK Sept, 2015

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