GYLES & GEORGE: FALL/WINTER ’22 COLLECTION

Legendary British knitwear brand Gyles & George is introducing a new collection of lambswool sweaters based on original designs from two of the founding duo’s celebrated knitting pattern books: Wit Knits (1985) and Knitability (1987).

Gyles & George’s origins can be traced back to 1971, when TV presenter Gyles Brandreth was gifted a hand-knitted Scrabble-themed sweater at the National Scrabble Championships of Great Britain (which he founded). The sweater was such a hit, it inspired him to create his own original designs; Gyles began wearing these jumpers on British television and soon became known as “TV’s Colourful Jumper Man”. Then, according to Gyles, "one day, in the early 1980s, I was walking down Kensington Church Street and passed a small boutique where, in the window, I saw a sweater featuring a pair of cockatoos. I loved the look of it, went in and bought it. I also asked the shop who had made it. They gave me George Hostler’s address in Leicester. We met up, became friends and working partners and that was the beginning of the Gyles & George adventure that has now lasted 40 years.”

Throughout the 1980s, Gyles and George created hundreds of original “wit knits” — many of which were worn by contemporary luminaries like Elton John and Diana, Princess of Wales, who popularized the now-iconic “I’m a Luxury” sweater — and produced four books featuring their charmingly cheeky and colourful patterns.

In keeping with the brand’s love of bright colours, droll phrases, visual puns and trompe l’oeil images, Gyles & George’s new Fall/Winter collection features flying pigs, tigers, bananas, cockatoos, frogs and flowerpots. For the Banana Sweater — originally modeled by Christopher Biggins in Wit Knits — the brand is partnering with the legendary Magnolia Bakery, known for their world-famous banana pudding.

Gyles & George’s Fall/Winter ‘22 Collection is available now: here on our site; at gylesandgeorge.com; at the new Rowing Blazers flagship at 8 Rivington Street, NYC; and at other select retailers.