Stephen West (designer)

Stephen West (* 1989 in Tulsa , Oklahoma ) is an American dancer and fashion designer. He became known for his unconventional knitting designs.

Life

West began knitting in Tulsa High School , graduated from the University of Illinois with dance training, and published initial knitting instructions on Ravelry . Due to the success there he established the fashion label Westknits . In 2010 he moved to Amsterdam to study at the School of New Dance Development and has lived there ever since. West creates 50 to 75 new designs annually. Popular knitting patterns sell up to 10,000 times. Its free samples are sometimes downloaded over 80,000 times. In 2013 he made knitted trousers from existing sweaters and coined the suitcase word swants from sweater and pants . With his often colorful and asymmetrical designs, he is now one of the stars of the knitting scene.

Publications

• Westknits Bestknits: Sweaters, 2017, ISBN 978-0985131777
• Westknits Bestknits: Shawls, 2016, ISBN 978-0985131753
• Midgard, 2012, ISBN 978-0985131746
• Made for Movement, 2012, ISBN 978-0985131715

Web links

• Deutsche Welle : Sweater or pants? It's swants !
• Cosmopolitan : make sweater pants - make swants
• The Times of India : Swant is hot this winter
• 20min : Many men knit today because of me
• Münchner Merkur : In the land of knitted fabrics
• Vogue : Stephen West, el gurú del punto (a todo color)
• Cosmopolitan : [1]
• Biography at westknits.com