Knitwear Trends for Summer 2019: Intarsia Colour-work

Model wearing long, wool blend cardigan with all-over, richly decorative, floral intarsia colour-work In oranges, blues and greens, and with contrast hem and cuffs. — Etro Floral Intarsia Cardigan (here)

Welcome to third instalment of my new series: Summer Knitwear 2019!

In this series I look at the trends in summer knitwear this year and make pattern suggestions for knitters inspired to replicate these looks.

See here for an overview and links for the whole series.

In today’s post, the focus is on the widespread trend of intarsia colour-work.

For more intarsia inspiration and pattern suggestions, see Trending: picture knitting.

Knitting pictures

This Spring Summer season, intarsia colour-work designs were used to create a wide variety of effects and styles.

Plant images were widespread, from the simple sweep of leaves at Moncler to more traditional, pretty, floral designs at Alanui, as well as at Sonia Rykiel, Dolce and Gabbana and others shown below.

Woman wearing deep pink, knitted sweater with large green, intarsia colour-work motif of a sweep of leaves that covers most of the front.

Moncler Wool Cashmere Tropical Print Sweater (https://www.harrods.com/en-gb/moncler/wool-cashmere-tropical-print-sweater-p000000000006247531)

Model wearing oversized, cream sweater with multicoloured floral intarsia design; sweater worn tucked in to stone coloured shorts.

Alanui Oversized Embroidered Floral Intarsia Cashmere Sweater-from net-a-porter.com (here)

From left: Moncler Wool Cashmere Tropical Print Sweater (here), Alanui Oversized embroidered floral intarsia cashmere sweater (here).

Perhaps most striking, were the long cardigans at Etro (see top of page), Principles of Scotland, Alanui and others, which used richly coloured, complex intarsia motifs to form fabric reminiscent of tapestries.

Model wearing long, knitted cardigan with rich intarsia colour-work star designs in shades of blue and with contrast white sleeve detail and blue hem.

Haider Ackermann Intarsia Wool Paneled Cashmere and Silk Blend Cardigan (www.net-a-porter.com)

Model wearing knitted, wool cardigan with pale, camel coloured fabric combined with striking, floral intarsia motifs in blues, yellows and greys.

Pringle of Scotland Intarsia Cardigan (www.harrods.com)

From left, Haider Ackermann Intarsia Wool Paneled Cashmere and Silk Blend Cardigan (here), Pringle of Scotland Intarsia Cardigan (here).

Strongly contrasting, geometric and abstract images were also used to quite dramatic effect in knitwear at Sacai, Roksanda and Dior.

Model wearing multicoloured, gingham check, intarsia cardigan, from Tom Browne Summer 2019.

Tom Browne Paneled Gingham Knitted Cardigan (www.net-a-porter.com)

Model wearing knitted jumper with multicoloured, geometric intarsia colour-work design.

Sacai Pendleton Shell Trimmed Intarsia Cotton Blend Sweater (www.net-a-porter.com)

Model wearing Dior summer 2019 collection, including sweater in soft peach, blue and navy colours forming an abstract, kaleidoscope design in intarsia colour-work with embroidery details.

Dior Kaléidiorscope Embroidered Cashmere Sweater (from http://www.dior.com)

Clockwise from top left: Tom Browne Paneled Gingham Knitted Cardigan (here), Dior Kaléidiorscope Embroidered Cashmere Sweater (here), Sacai Pendleton Shell Trimmed Intarsia Cotton Blend Sweater (here).

A more playful mood was created at Prada and Thom Browne menswear, both designers creating sweaters with colourful, little whale motifs, while the former also featured fish and sail boats, while the latter upped the whimsy in their garden gnome cardigan. Similarly, Vivienne Westwood showed dramatic, dragon motifs, and Stella McCartney was inspired by the 1968 film Yellow Submarine, creating colourful intarsia designs including the face of John Lennon.

Woman wearing knitted sweater with all-over, multicoloured intarsia design of John Lennon.

Stella McCartney John Lennon Intarsia Knit Sweater (www.matchesfashion.com)

Woman wearing knitted pink jumper with repeated intarsia motif of a fish skeleton in navy.

Prada Fish Jacquard Wool Blend Sweater (www.matchesfashion.com)

From left: Stella McCartney John Lennon Intarsia Knit Sweater (here), Prada Fish Jacquard Wool Blend Sweater (here).

Words were also widespread, from the expressions of love at Alberta Ferretti and Dolce and Gabbana, to the use of logos as prominent decoration at Gucci, Dior, Isabel Marant, Balenciaga, Givenchy, Valentino and Kenzo.

Isabel Marant Étoile Korbin logo intarsia sweater (www.matchesfashion.com)

Model wearing knitted wool cashmere sweater in black, with contrast, multicoloured slogan formed in intarsia across the chest, which says ‘Love is love’.

Alberta Ferretti Love is Love Sweater (www.harrods.com)

Model wearing knitted, black sweater with ‘D&G is love’ slogan formed in intarsia colour-work in white and red.

Dolce and Gabbana Love Intarsia Cashmere Sweater (www.harrods.com)

Clockwise, from top left: Isabel Marant Étoile Korbin logo intarsia sweater (here), Dolce and Gabbana Love Intarsia Cashmere Sweater (here), Alberta Ferretti Love is Love Sweater (here).