The rise of independent fashion: 100gnett

Tell us a bit about the brand. How did it all begin?

100gnett started as my spam art account after realising I rarely shared any pictures of my work online even though I’d spent over 3 years studying it. I made the account in my first year of uni and dedicated it to sharing pictures of things I was creating and documenting my creative processes. Over time, I began making more knitwear and started posting some of it on instagram too. I didn’t plan on selling any of the pieces because most of them were prototypes and I wanted to complete uni and release an ‘official’ collection first. But in July 21 I was asked if I wanted to sell some pieces at a pop up event in response to a vest I had posted, and decided to do it. I just stuck with the @ of the spam account which was 100gnett, which I found on the back of a ball of wool. Nowadays I work on commission and loaning garments to stylists whilst I work on some exciting things.

When did you first begin experimenting with knitwear?

I first learnt to hand knit when I was about 11 from a friend of my granddad's but never planned on studying it at uni. Since I study textile design, I had to choose a specialism between print/knit/weave/stitch. I had planned to specialize in print as it was primarily what I had been exploring throughout college, but when we got to try out different specialisms and was introduced to using a knitting machine, I became really fascinated by the unlimited different designs I could create. I realised that knitwear goes way beyond a stereotypical wool jumper, and actually forms the basis of so many of our clothes that you may not expect. Once I bought my own knitting machine, I spent most of my time (I still do) practicing and developing my skills especially when it comes to knitting sheer materials and lace.

What’s the process like behind creating your garments? How long does each piece take?

Since I am primarily a textile designer, my focus begins with how the material will look and feel. The shape of the garment comes afterwards and acts as a canvas to the textile design itself. When I knit on my machine, a lot of time and consideration goes into it. I start by experimenting with different techniques and yarns to see which ones are successful and inspiring. Then I visualize how it can look on the body as an item of clothing, I usually do this step on my ipad. Once I have decided on the design, I make a paper pattern of the garment and a mini square of the final material (called a tension swatch) to calculate the final instructions to follow on my machine to create the garment. The overall design and preparation process takes much longer than making and assembling the piece. I also use crochet a lot in my work and sometimes combine the two together. When using crochet I tend to knit freely without a pattern and start with only a rough drawing of the desired shape. I find crochet to be like line drawing where I can knit the outline of the garment shapes and measure it against the body as I go. Machine knitting is much more structured whereas crochet is much more intuitive, so I like alternating between the two.

How do you come up with your designs and what are some things that inspire your creative process?

Different pieces have different design processes. Some of my designs have formed after months of experimentation and development, whereas other designs just come to my mind before I am about to sleep and I make a quick note of it to remember in the morning. I find that my state of mind definitely affects the way I work and what I produce and I definitely use textile design / knitting as my creative outlet and a way to channel my inner identity and mindsets. It can be a very therapeutic and relaxing skill at times. My current ‘theme’ that I have been focusing on is ways to upcycle and repurpose old clothing and textile waste into something more beautiful using knit and crochet. I’ve begun to understand the importance of responsible design and consider where I source my materials from and how the item will be disposed of at the end of its ‘life’. This is definitely a big starting point for many of my recent pieces.

Recently, there has been a huge amount of interest in second hand fashion and independent labels amongst gen Z. What are your opinions on this? And, would you say sustainability is important to you in your practice?

I think it is definitely a step in the right direction, especially considering the current textile waste crisis as a result of the fashion industry. Shopping second hand is definitely better than shopping from a fast fashion retailer, but is not solely enough to solve the crisis. I think our habits as consumers need to shift and we need to have more consideration when we buy and where we buy it from. The rise in shopping from independent labels is also good as it allows growth for small businesses but we need to be aware of big brands stealing from emerging designers and also treating sustainability as a trend by greenwashing people into buying their products through misleading information and sales tactics. As a designer, I do feel it is my responsibility to consider how I can be more sustainable in my practice and that is one reason I source my materials from old clothes where possible, or use materials such as silk that have the ability to decompose once they are thrown away.

What are your future plans for the brand? What can we expect to see next?

I am planning on releasing a mini collection this year in 2022 if all goes to plan. It all derives from a project I began in my second year exploring the textile waste crisis, sustainable design and upcycling. Most of the collection will be made from repurposed t-shirts and scrap yarns. I’ve been working on this project for almost a year and am so excited to release it as a complete, cohesive piece of work. There are also other collections I designed during my time at uni which I can’t wait to revisit and bring to life. But for now I want to just continue exploring all the avenues of development for what I’m currently working on. I also definitely want to see 100gnett in the metaverse.

INSTAGRAM: @100GNETT

PHOTOS BY: @CHIARAPICCIRILLO