Don’t miss your chance to join the Scottish knitwear brand Pringle in London Craft Week for a demonstration of “hand intarsia”, one of the most intricate and traditional knitting techniques. You will also be able to taste Scottish whisky as you admire the latest menswear and womenswear collections. Alongside it, visit the exhibition of exceptional works by Frida Wannerberger.

Cashmere. Argyle. The Twinset. Cardigans for British (and Hollywood) royalty. All renowned, incredibly relevant and in some cases created for the first time, by the knitwear company Pringle, whose origins lie in the humble town of Hawick, Scotland, United Kingdom.

Pringle of Scotland owns a 200-year old history and can be considered one of the oldest luxury fashion brands in the world, however, it has always been a modern and pioneering company. Founded in 1815 by Robert Pringle and manufacturers of knitted hosiery, decades after its origin, Pringle embraced and nurtured the technical innovations that led to the creation of knitted outerwear, and indeed coined the term ‘knitwear’ to describe its ever-growing collections.

Known and loved around the world for the use of cashmere, Pringle also introduced the intarsia design that soon became a signature argyle pattern. Adopted by the Duke of Windsor in the 1920s, argyle became instantly popular with the fashionable set of the time and is still an often-referenced and globally recognized icon today.

The Pringle twinset, another brand invention inspired by the sporty knitwear pairings on the golf course, was taken up by many famous faces of the 1930s and 1940s. From the House of Windsor to the West Coast of America, Pringle cashmere was a must-have, and a twinset graced the shoulders of names such as Joan Crawford, Margot Fonteyn, Grace Kelly, Margaret Lockwood, Moirer Shearer and Jean Simmons, among several others. A Pringle cashmere twinset made the cover of Vogue in 1955.

“It was Pringle who introduced Sweaters that were the softest, supplest, finest things that could be made from cashmere. It was Pringle who brought to Sweaters these rare and beautiful colourings”, said Edith Wharton.

Pringle received its Royal Warrant in 1956 awarded by Her Majesty the Queen. Today, Pringle continues to be a innovator in British knitwear and a precious treasure of British heritage. In 2015, for its 200th anniversary, Pringle worked with National Museums Scotland to curate an exhibition showcasing Pringle’s long history within the Scottish knitwear industry and celebrating the relevance of knitwear in contemporary fashion. It is thanks to Robert Pringle and his humble hosiery master artisans that knitwear has nowadays such a special place in the lives and wardrobes of men and women all around the world.

Stay with us to find out more about London Craft Week and the best of contemporary art, design and craftsmanship.

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