Vintage Knitting, Retro Dressmaking, Make do and Mend, Original and Vintage Inspired Knitting Patterns, Vintage Inspired books

Wednesday, August 14, 2013

Dolce and Gabbana and me!

Imagine my surprise when I received an email pointing out a famous admirer of my work. No less than Dolce and Gabbana in fact.

In their autumn winter collection there is a very pretty, simple lace jumper, short bodied with a deep rib waist band, a boat neck also finished with ribbing and quite full short sleeves. And here it is, Cashmere perforated Knit Sweater, for sale at £640 here.

Look familiar? It certainly looks amazingly similar to The Jan Sweater from A Stitch in Time Volume 2
don't you think? This jumper has proven incredibly popular and knitters versions of it can be found on blogs, tumblrs and pinterest boards all over the internet as well as on ravelry.


Its hard to believe that this 'interpretation' is coincidental. However Jan is of course a vintage pattern and I can lay no claim to the original design and nor would I try to - although Dolce and Gabbana do appear to be suggesting it is their original design. This I find very hard to stomach. However life is far too short and therefore I would alternatively like to request that rather than paying £640 for a machine made, mass produced copy, people purchase A Stitch in Time Volume 2 for £35 along with approx 6 balls of Excelana 4 ply Wool for £30 and make a much more economical yet infinitely more beautiful and unique version of this iconic jumper - oh and maybe also mention to anyone who will listen that the Jan Sweater was here first - and that she is from the 1930s not the 1950s as described on Matches Fashion website!

for now,
Ruby xxx

10 comments :

Natalie Servant said...

I like the deeper pointier Vs on the Jan sweater vs. the D&G version. It makes all the difference for a much more attractive sweater.

flossieKNITS said...

I agree with Natalie, and will be SMing about it everywhere! (social media-ing).

The Vintage Knitter said...

The handknitted (natch!) version in yours and Jane's book is far superior than the D&G one. I would rather spend (if I could afford it!) £640 on knitting yarn and work my way through my favourite patterns in A Stitch in Time Vols 1 & 2 than buy one D&G jumper.

fabriquefantastique said...

Only a no nothing fool would buy the knockoff.....
I believe Kate Davies took Debenhams to court over this issue, but , as you say, it is a non copy write pattern.
I think it would make a great story for the papers.

Anonymous said...

Even more excited to wear my red version to work in winter now! As they say quality never dates.

Katerina К (the joy of ...) said...

I have already done my own Jan and absolutely love it. Don't worry about D&G analogue. all the knitting community is on your side. I don't know any person who doesn't like Jan.
Best wishes, Kate

WendyBee said...

D&G will never have as many sold as there are knitters who will make your Jan! And they will each make it up in their own best colors, sized to fit. Each one will be custom, and therefore unique, and it will be your ingenuity that makes it all possible. I am dying to get hands on Vol. 2 (I have Vol. 1 and love it!); I am planning to ask for it for my birthday in November and I can't wait! That picture of Jan is perfection, and I know the book will be chock-full of similar beauties. I love what you do, count me a fan.
WendyBee

Georgia Harrison said...

But D&G have changed the shaping so it does seem to me a more 50's silhouette, more fitted. Definite rip-off though.

Unknown said...

I'm with the Vintage Knitter on this one - let me knit through the books piece by piece any day!

Anna Maria Lind Geirsdóttir said...

If the D&G version was handmade it would be worth the price. But it isn't is it?
That is the wonder about the big fashion houses: Machine made in great numbers and very expensive industrial clothes and things.