Anita Arze: Hand-Knit Tradition, Modern Design
Anita Arze dug into her cultural roots and drew upon the handcraftsmanship of Bolivian knitting for the basis of her eponymous line of wraps, ponchos and coverups.
“I’d been going to Bolivia since I was a kid,” said Arze, whose parents were born in the South American country. “When I decided to launch my line, I wanted to use all the [arts and handcrafts] there.”
Arze borrows the knit patterns seen in colorful traditional South American ponchos and wraps, which are usually covered in embroidery and trimmed with macrameacute; and fringe. The designer interprets the knit techniques into “modern and simple” styles, such as a collared diamond-shaped poncho in earthy, natural hues.
For her debut Fall collection, Arze offered alpaca wool coverup ponchos, wraps and shawls knit on a hand loom in Bolivia. “I love that idea of rather than throwing on a jacket, that you have one or two coverups that are easy, like blankets,” Arze said.
She expands the theme of coverups for Spring with the addition of Peruvian cotton hand-crocheted vests, hand-knit sweaters and cardigans, and hand-crocheted knit dresses.
Wholesale prices range from $89 for a cableknit cape to $106 for a cardigan knit on a handloom and up to $160 for a dress that takes approximately two days to hand-crochet.
Arze has a history with knits, though her yoga-oriented line, Talking to Angels, was based on cut-and-sew cotton/Lycra tees and French terry/ Lycra hoodies as opposed to sweater knits. After closing that line three years ago, Arze wanted to explore smaller-scale handcraftsmanship for her next endeavor.
“I’ve always loved the quality of hand knits. I remember collecting [hand knits] tear sheets since when I was in school,” Arze said. “Anything made by hand, to me, has a special touch, a special feel. It’s just a different type of product than something that can be mass-produced.”
For more information, contact EM Productions, located in suite 402 of the Cooper Design Space, at (213) 614-9292. —Rhea Cortado
