Ria Thomas Issue #39

Darn Good

By Kirsten Kilponen
Published: March 1st, 2009 | 9:39am

These aren’t your granny’s outdated, ill-fitting knits that look like they smell of mothballs. 23-year-old Ria Thomas, a recent Nottingham Trent grad, has spun up something new with her intricate, yet stylish knitwear. Her designs, inspired by the “notion of peeling back layers of skin, and revealing and exposing the inner systems and contours on outer form,” have earned her the prestigious Pringle of Scotland Visionary Knitwear Award at London’s 2008 Graduate Fashion Week.

Her show may have only been made up of six pieces, but Thomas’ technical understanding of knitwear and avant-garde aesthetic resulted in a quality collection reminiscent of strong but delicate crocheted doilies, enlarged and sewn into oversized dresses, sweaters, and cardigans, that still manage to fit the curves of the body. Thomas’ vision for the future of knitwear has made a thundering first impression in the fashion world — we can’t wait to see what slips off her needles next.