KNITTING MEMORIES | why knitwear

IN THIS SERIES, FOUNDER AND DESIGNER ANA DIARTE SHARES PERSONAL REFLECTIONS THAT SHAPE THE WORLD OF DIARTE, FROM ITS ORIGINS TO THE VALUES THAT CONTINUE TO DEFINE IT TODAY:

EVEN AS A DESIGN STUDENT, I WAS ALWAYS DRAWN TO KNITWEAR OVER ANYTHING ELSE.

I LOVED THE IDEA OF DESIGNING THE FABRIC ITSELF, TURNING A SIMPLE THREAD INTO SOMETHING WITH TEXTURE AND VOLUME.

KNITWEAR IS TECHNICAL BY NATURE; THE MACHINE MUST BE ABLE TO EXECUTE THE IDEA, AND THAT RATIONAL, PROBLEM-SOLVING SIDE OF THE PROCESS HAS ALWAYS FASCINATED ME.

I STILL KNIT SAMPLES BY HAND FOR OUR FACTORIES, AND WORK WITH THE KNITTING MACHINE I BOUGHT ON EBAY WHILE LIVING IN LONDON.

STAYING HANDS-ON KEEPS ME CONNECTED TO THE DESIGN PROCESS AND REMINDS ME WHY DIARTE EXISTS. IT’S NOT JUST ABOUT CREATING PRODUCTS, IT’S ABOUT MAINTAINING A DIRECT RELATIONSHIP WITH WHAT WE MAKE.