LFW: Kristel Kuslapuu A/W18 and Ones To Watch Award levels up the knitwear game

Ones To Watch: Kristel Kuslapuu

Kristel Kuslapuu is one of Fashion Scout’s ‘Ones to Watch’ for next season and, with her offbeat knits, there’s no way you’d miss her. Having only graduated from her degree in Fashion Design at the Estonian Academy of Arts last year, the designer caught the eye of the Fashion Scout panel when she showed at Tallinn Fashion Week.

The six piece Autumn/Winter collection consists of heavy textured knitwear in bold, primary colours, modelled on androgynous models with the aim of transcending the confines of gender. Inspired by “dark secrets, phobias, social anxieties and traumas”, the cardigans, dresses and jumpers don’t instantly reflect this, incorporating doodle-like imagery and graphic text.

Some pieces were more conceptual, with one all black jumper evoking a spiders web, barely holding together across the models torso, whereas a blue and red polka dot jumper with cute, googly eyes was instantly wearable.

Consistent with the current ‘high-low’ trend, the knits were paired with sequin skirts and knitted joggers. The footwear took the ‘ugly’ shoe to the extreme with models in chunky, black orthopedic-looking shoes and mink coloured, mid-calf socks. The makeup was at the other end of the scale, with bright, pop coloured accents on the lower lid and Krispy Kreme glazed lips.

In protest of the fast-fashion industry, which does so much harm throughout the supply chain, Kuslapuu knitted most of the pieces by hand. However, whilst the knits look luxuriously soft and cosy, the goat, sheep, alpaca and camel yarns used to create them mean they are far from ethical pioneers.