Face jersey

This jersey was purchased by donor Alan Gibson from fashion designer Lee Andersen's shop Vibrant Handknits, 6 Majoribanks Street, Mt Victoria, Wellington, in about 1985. He notes that this jersey 'wasn't typical of Lee's work which was usually abstract'. It was knitted by Jean Rees.

Andersen recalls this ‘face jersey’ was ‘actually my version of one my Mum, Colleen Wilson, did. She sold knitting at her local craft show in Gisborne for years. Every commissioned jersey she did was original, inspired by whatever colours and textured yarn scraps she had. She insisted twins get different jerseys too. She taught me to knit and sew without patterns' (Andersen 2020).

The big, bold 1980s

Andersen was at the forefront of the ‘big jersey’ look after it arrived in New Zealand in the 1980s. Garments in her Wellington shop attracted international customers like the Queen of Spain.

In 1985, Andersen published You Knit Unique, which encouraged creativity – and sold out fast.

Her designs were handmade by home-based knitters, and she acknowledged them on the garments’ swing tags. A single piece could contain 40 different yarns. The team created about 900 original, imaginative, and richly textured garments.