Lauren Riker: The Vogue Knitting/Skacel Fiber Factor Contest
It’s hard to resist a knitting contest, and we’ve been big fans of The Fiber Factor, Skacel Collection’s first-ever knitwear-design competition, since it debuted last spring (www.thefiberfactor.com). Following along as twelve contestants showcased their talents in a series of challenges—with the winner receiving a trip to Germany to tour the Addi needle factory—we were inspired by the endless display of creativity. That’s why, in the spirit of The Fiber Factor’s unique online competition, we asked the four finalists—Tracy Purtscher, John Ravet, Lauren Riker and Terri Rosenthal—to take on a challenge of our own: Create a unique garment inspired by the legendary house of Chanel using a Skacel Collection yarn of their choice. And they had only four weeks to do it.
Vote for your favorite design at http://www.vogueknitting.com/contests... and watch video clips of the designers discussing their design process here. Voting will close at midnight EST on January 15, 2015. The winner—who will receive an all-expenses-paid trip to a future Vogue Knitting LIVE event—will be announced at the afternoon fashion show at Vogue Knitting LIVE New York and in our Spring/Summer issue. Let the challenge begin!
Lauren grew up in Half Moon Bay, California, and learned to knit from her stepmother when she was 9. She attended Western Washington University where she majored in Art with an emphasis in Fibers & Fabrics and Photography. She moved out to NYC immediately after graduating to pursue a career in fashion, and has been working as a designer there ever since, specializing in juniors, girls, and intimate apparel. She loves kittens, purple, and everything girly, which you will often see come through in her work. She started Girly Knits in 2011 with the hopes to inspire younger girls to learn to knit.