Claudia Jaspers founder of Items 14

ABOUT US

A self-taught knitter since her boarding school days, Claudia Jaspers started designing sweaters for close friends in 2012, finding gifted ladies who could knit in Antwerp.

When the pieces got noticed by a local buyer who wanted to place an order, she understood that her brand was born.

The fact that she wasn’t trained in fashion -nor design- gave Jaspers a fresh approach, as well as a willingness to give it a go. Two weeks after her first stockist had received the knits, they were completely sold out.

All of these yarns are hand-dyed, too, which means that no chemicals interfere with the dyeing process. This purist approach towards the yarn itself tends to inform Jaspers’ design style, which favors loose and protective shapes, avoiding contrived and weighty pieces.

In Cape Town, where she has nurtured fruitful relationships with local manufacturers, Jaspers is also driven by the social dimension of her work, creating opportunities and growth within a community that supports her brand and believes in her vision. Her stance is that knitwear shelters and protects us the same way it has done for centuries.

In a world relying on virtual gestures, as opposed to real communication, the subtle caress of a mohair knit can lift your mood and give you strength, underlining comfort as a way of life.

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