Vice Style

Areez Katki, is a 20-year old knitwear wunderkind who makes strangely shaped, almost abstract loose-knit one-offs that have seen the New Zealand based designer written about across the world. Best of all, he has no formal training, unless you count a few early interludes with his grandmother’s knitting needles.

Vice: You study Art History and English. Why not go to fashion school?
Areez Katki: My grandmother, who taught me to knit when I was 8, thinks I should be studying fashion instead. But I’m very inspired by Art History. Especially contemporary art, post modernism and post post modernism. My gran, had told me to sit down and learn something worthwhile that I could use in the future. Who knew?

What did you make?
The first thing I knitted was a woolly scarf and I think still have it. She taught me the basics, knit pearl, double knit and after that it stuck with me.

You can't really describe your knitted boots and head covers as basic.
Yeah, but I still follow traditional methods. I use different kinds of yarns; sometimes I don’t even use yarn. I’ll use strips of fabric or just thread that I find. It’s really further away from craft, and more towards art; well that’s the way I’d like to see it.

So you're more of an artist than a designer?
I would love to have my work in a gallery. But selling to shops is a way for people to have a piece of art on their body.

It’s probably a better way of making a living.
That’s a good way to put it. But what really made me start my own line was a lack of knitwear that I wanted to wear. I couldn’t find anything I wanted in New Zealand, so I made my own.

So what’s your aesthetic?
Each piece is an experiment. I feel an affinity with anything made by hand; anything that has a personal air to it. Every piece that I make is one-off, so that pretty much explains my attitude towards fashion. There are a few pieces that my friends keep begging me to sell, but I won't sell my really special pieces. I wear the ones I am not allergic to.

Wait, you’re allergic to some of your knitting?
Ha, yeah. I’m allergic to a type of mohair. I made this 5m long scarf in a chartreuse mohair with sleeves. It was the most expensive piece I’ve made.

How much are we talking?
I used about NZ$400 worth of wool.

No way.
Yeah, but then I found myself getting sick when I was making it. I was dizzy and my eyes would water.

Surely you should sell a scarf that makes you ill?
But I can take antihistamines and wear it for a day!

What else inspires you? Your heritage?
Very much so. I was born in India, but I have Persian origins. I lived in Dubai growing up and then moved to New Zealand. That’s pretty much my nomadic life.

And you use lots of pretty colours…
That’s very Asian. Though, last winter's knits were very Alpine. I've also done eyes and mouths, faces on jumpers were fun. I might bring them back.


SOPHIE DONOVAN

Areez Katki Handmade is stocked at Children of Vision.