In December 2024, Chris and I took our first extended road trip since the pandemic, driving from Joburg to Gansbaai over four days.
As we traveled, we were acutely aware of a world bracing for seismic geopolitical and technological shifts—some frighteningly regressive, others rushing us headlong into an uncharted future. News of Los Angeles burning for days on end added an almost apocalyptic sense of volatility.
In this context, the stunning landscapes we passed through felt restorative and grounding. Our route took us through a series of mountain passes, most of which we’d seen before, yet their sheer spectacle still took our breaths away.
Given my state of mind, I was struck by the way rock—seemingly permanent and timeless—preserves a history of change.
Fissures, folds, cracks, and crevasses; sedimentary layers, outcroppings, and mineral deposits—all these are marks of transformation over vast spans of time. Every landscape remembers the story of its formation.
Knitting, in a way, does something similar. Because it creates both surface and shape at the same time, it records each moment of its making. Every loop of yarn interlocks with the next, stitch after stitch, slowly becoming something beautiful and useful. Every piece of knitting – like a miniature landscape - holds the story of its creation within its surface.
For Wrapt’s 2025 collection, this idea is woven into the design itself. Fashioning marks and exposed seams reveal the making process; textures range from pebbly to layered to almost polished. Fibres and colors are carefully juxtaposed, echoing the natural elements: the blacks, coppers, and grays of rock; the orange and red of fire and sparks; the pale blue of the sky that sees everything
This collection is about remembrance—of personal and collective history, and of what we hold to be true and right—as a source of fortitude in an uncertain world. Using knitting and stitching, ancient crafts that have long offered warmth and resilience, the garments are composed, collected, and comforting.
As always, natural yarns are both an inspiration and the medium. In addition to Karoo mohair, the collection uses merino wool, cotton, and combinations of these fibres. Each garment is made to last, the memories of the wearer joining the memories of its making.
The pic was taken in the Swartberg Pass, and then digitally adjusted to highlight the structure of the rock.
