Designer Feature – Myrrhia

As much as I love summer, one of the things I most look forward to when the weather gets cooler is pulling out my cozy knitted sweaters. I have also thought that there wasn’t much new to be seen in the world of knitwear. I mean, there’s only so much you can do with knitted patterns, right? Nope. I was wrong. Myrrhia has taken knitting to a whole new level with patterns that are wild, subtle, and classic all at the same time.

Taught by the quintessential knitting expert, Grandma, Myrrhia has evolved into a cool, modern fashion line that is inspired by 60′s modernism, middle Eastern colors and patterns, gypsies, and the circus, to name a few.

Each collection has a different inspiration. The touchstone is to empower our customer. I want the looks to convey power and authority, but they usually have a soft femininity that often surprises me. Yarn is my starting point, then colors, then I start fantasizing about a particular person, what would she wear? What is her life like? For Fall 2012, I was thinking about an Earthling exploring space, expressing human uniqueness, but needing to stay warm in the vaccuum of space! For Spring, I traveled to the desert planet to do scientific research, and ended up becoming a warrior queen.

In order to make her visions a reality, Myrrhia utilizes a very simple thought process – respect in every aspect of development.

Our company tries to go beyond ethics to recognize and cherish the unique skills and magic of everyone in the supply chain. The earth that grows the fiber, the water that brings dye to the fabric, the lives of the people designing and building the clothing. Respect is the foundation of sustainability.

Working only with yarns that are grown and spun in the USA, Myrrhia prefers to create her designs using natural fibers.

After being a die-hard wool fan for years, I am becoming more and more seduced by the velvety organic cotton that we used in our Spring collection. Wool and cotton are traditional, natural fibers are easy care, not requiring expensive and toxic dry cleaning. They are wrinkle-resistant, too.

Believe it or not, knitting for her clothing line hasn’t burned Myrrhia out from knitting for fun. What “for fun” projects has she been working on?

Even the handknitting I do for fun ends up turning into a design gig, lately! I just had a pattern published in Knit.wear. Check it out! It’s the Octagon-Dot pullover.

Which piece from her collection does Myrrhia keep reaching for?

My favorite piece is the pyramid top. I made myself an oversize one that is like a mini-dress that I like to wear with boots or gladiator sandals.

The Pyramid Top is part of Myrrhia’s Spring 2013 collection, which you can get a sneak peek of here. But, before we get too excited about spring, we must make it through fall and winter… what is Myrrhia most looking forward to this fall season?

I get caught in the rain at least once every Fall season. Something about that makes me happy. I guess I like a challenge. I LOVE getting to wear boots, sweaters, and tights all the time too. This Fall, I am going to be wearing lots of purple and orange.

There are some exciting things lined up for the future with Myrrhia, so keep you eyes peeled for more styles, accessories, and menswear. Myrrhia also hopes that the future leads to more conscientious shopping that will make a difference in the world, one purchase at a time.

Shopping ethically holds the power to change our entire economy. They are calling my generation the “lost” generation because of the economic situation and the job market. By choosing to support sustainable businesses and producers, we can disengage from the extractive system of wealth creation and rebuild our communities and our lives.

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