The Great Outdoorman

  • Suzanna James
''In her final collection, Suzanna James knits the environment into her textiles. The ethically minded designer insists upon sustainability. She contributes towards an ecological future for fashion by choosing for her collection primarily Fairtrade sourced fabrics.

Suzanna James’s research crosses continents with stitch designs sourced from North East Russia to the neighbouring shores of Guernsey. Her designs may follow a similarly transcontinental path through the modernisation of vanishing traditions.'' Mode Connect

For my collection ‘The Great Outdoorman’, I combined my love for the natural world with my fascination of historical knitting. I was intrigued by the geographical homes of iconic knit stitches, including Guernsey and Fair Isle. A favourite of mine is a rare stitch design called unskijposad, which originates from North East Russia.

I became fascinated by the landscapes of the different places where these stitches originated. I was also drawn to landscape artists’ visions, such as Michael Broad’s scenic painting ‘Blue Sea Island’. This research inspired the natural tone colour palette and organic aesthetic.