Patchwork Is Back And It’s This Season’s Answer To Joyful, Easy Dressing

Do Gigi and Zayn spend their nights at home armed with a needle and thread? Have they discovered a talent for handicrafts in 2020? It certainly looks that way. In the last couple of weeks, both have been spotted in patchwork pieces.

Alas, no – as far as we know, the Gen Z power couple haven’t taken up a new hobby. Rather, they are just the latest names to fall for the appeal of patchwork (her cardigan is by Ksenia Schnaider, his jacket from the name to know, Bode – also a favourite of Harry Styles). This season, the hand-worked technique is given a haute makeover.

You could see it on the S/S ’20 catwalks, from Missoni and Oscar de la Renta, to Natasha Zinko and Jacquemus. It was stripped back in white at Gabriela Hearstand sporty at Koché.

So what is the appeal? For starters, patchwork exemplifies the optimistic, joyous spirit of fashion right now. It’s a no-holds-barred way to embrace clashing print and colour; a potent tonic to lift your mood. Shrug on Dôen’s nearly sold-out Sedona jacket, and you invest any look with a jolt of carefree bohemianism.

In a WiFi world, there is something tantalising about an artform that’s so resolutely handwrought. It’s the ultimate in digital detox dressing; the sartorial equivalent of a handwritten letter.

‘Patchwork exemplifies craft and the historic narrative of the female,’ says Bode’s Emily Bode, a 2020 Woolmark Prize finalist. More pertinently, it represents an evolution of our desire to embrace sustainability.

Many brands are using patchwork to breathe new life into unwanted scraps and offcuts, creating something beautiful out of something disregarded. Bode’s pieces are crafted from upcycled textiles; Ssōne’s knee-high boots are made from deadstock leather panels. Menswear designer Greg Lauren’s fondness for patchwork springs from his love of vintage fabric. ‘I wouldn’t throw away any scrap. I’d see a scrap and think, “That’d make a great collar, or pocket flap,”’ he explains. ‘I somehow felt connected to every detail.’ When he couldn’t fit any more offcuts into the storage unit he rented, Greg began making pieces out of them.

‘Our customers are looking for luxurious pieces that have a point of difference, and it’s often the provenance behind the collections that inspire them,’ says Matchesfashion.com’sfashion and buying director, Natalie Kingham. ‘They want to invest in beautifully crafted pieces that can be treasured forever.’ And if people think you’re handy with a needle and thread in the meantime, well, that’s just an added bonus.

SHOP: The Best Patchwork Pieces To Lift Your Mood