Knitted in Stardust: David Bowie and Kansai Yamamoto’s knit jumpsuits

Abstract

If asked to select an image that personifies the act of knitting, many of us would think of a grandma-esque figure – a maternal, homey, comforting figure who is knitting a sweater for a loved one – rather than David Bowie wearing knit jumpsuit garments onstage. Indeed, knitted structures and knitted motifs, such as snowflakes and reindeer, are commonly associated with nostalgia and matricultural spheres. Often, knitted garments conjure feelings of memory and melancholy, as most of us are familiar with knitted items and may have received hand knitted objects made by a loved one.