Lars Andersson is a New York based knitwear designer. He describes his design aesthetic as “Dark Urban Hippie”, and the collections consistently paint that picture.Andersson was born is Sweden, where he soon became entranced with the craft of knitting. “In Sweden” he says, “everyone learns how to knit, it’s a cultural thing.” The designers’ first garment was completed at the age of six- a sweater for his Monchichi monkey doll.
After completing two years of fashion school in Sweden, Lars made the move to New York to pursue studies at FIT, but stopped short of his degree. “I quickly became entranced by New York City, and soon I was living a life submersed in its dark, downtown culture.”
During this period, Lars’ love for knitting came full circle, and he began making one-of-a-kind sweaters for his friends in NYC. The response was so overwhelming that he decided to put all of his energy into his craft, and the first collection was born.
Although now stateside, Andersson continues to be powerfully influenced by Sweden, a place he describes as “very dark, and the furthest thing from fancy. It’s a minimal environment, really old, dark and mysterious. It’s raw and unfinished, but still beautiful. The countryside is haunting- the pitch-black forest, the deep greens of the mosses and pine trees, and the grays of the stones”.
For the last six years, Andersson has been designing and manufacturing his line of knitwear for men and women. His focus is on the trade and skill of knitting, and the collections are constructed from only the finest Japanese and Italian yarns. With a team of knitters, he produces each garment by hand from his studio in Brooklyn.
“In the end,” he says, “the most important thing for me is that my customers end up with timeless pieces that will last a lifetime, defy trends, and always look contemporary and cool.”
Have a look at the collection here.
