A Wren Says

Alicia Robinson describes her brand, AGR, as brave. No doubt that has to do with her ability to stand out boldly in a category often considered stodgy. The play with neon and color-blocking is unlike much o what you might expect from other knitwear designers. But I believe that bravery goes beyond the clothing you see going to market. It is likely more about her approach: They are not afraid to try new things over there at AGR. That means both trying out different techniques and working with various collaborators.

Robinson spoke candidly about the struggle of growing a young brand during the start of the pandemic in 2020. Obstacles included the increasing cost of transit and resources, which limited their ability to produce a full collection. The brand took a break from showing for that season. Instead, like many other brands, they shifted to creating masks. After mailing them to friends, eventually one showed up on Anderson.Paak. He wore an AGR mask throughout his “Lockdown” music video, leading fans to wonder where he got that from.

In the fall of 21, AGR branched out to include coats (including the one that initially caught my eye, starting my deep dive into the brand). The theme of the season was nomadic grunge. Brushed mohair, less traditional technique in knitwear, and hand-sprayed colors all added to the effect. Handspraying was through collaboration with artist Joel Holbrook. And the limitations of the pandemic found her hand dying pieces for the upcoming collection in her mother’s yard. (Images below credited to William Spooner, by way of HypeBeast.)

For Spring/Summer 22, AGR teamed up with Knitwear Lab. The Dutch company helped them create a capsule of pieces that were equally vibrant and colorful as AGR has come to be known for. Inspiration was drawn from the artwork of Rothko and Roy Colmer, photography by Martin Parr, and the nineties more generally.

For FW22, the inspiration was wide ranging. She pointed to art, knitting and needlepoint trends from the 16^th century and the 1970s. In addition, she brought in some knew techniques of her own. The focus, as always, was using color well. (Images below credited to William Spooner, as published by HypeBeast.)

SS23 was shown in the London nightclub, Fabric. New pieces included enamel earrings and rings, that came about as a result of a collaboration with Hatton Labs. There were also patchworked jeans, metallic crochet dresses, bright colors, and the ever present 90s aesthetic reference.

When asked to describe her brand’s ethos, Robinson replied, “More is more.” This is a way of doing that permeates both the design process and her approach to life. People who are willing to take on more and push boundaries. From trying out new techniques, to buying equipment to improve processes, there is always a desire to do more. As example, Robinson invested in an industrial knitting machine which decreased the time required to create pieces. This opens up the ability create custom work on a shorter turnaround time and do smaller run collaborations with artists. In addition, she can differentiate and create pieces that are considered more out there at a smaller scale and sell them on the company site, while still creating other designs at a large scale for luxury retailers.

Innovation is a part of the brand spirit. But by making changes constantly in a deliberate way, the brand is able to grow at a sustainable rate. AGR moves to its own rhythm, not swayed by trends or expectations.

Sources

Bonacic, D., (February 14, 2021). AGR’s Alicia Robinson is Crafting a New Generation of Knitwear. Agency Eleven https://www.agencyeleven.co.uk/agr-knit-alicia-robinson-knitwear-sexy/

Brain, E. (February 25, 2021). AGR Is reinventing knitwear for rebellious anti-conformists. HypeBeast. https://hypebeast.com/2021/2/agr-fall-winter-2021-british-emerging-knitwear-lookbook-alicia-robinson

Campuzano, L. (January 7, 2021). Spotlight on AGR. WWD. https://wwd.com/menswear-news/mens-fashion/spotlight-on-agr-1234690795/

Coburn-Blaauw, J. (December 14, 2021). AGR AW21. The Fall. https://thefallmag.com/agr-aw21-fashion-knitwear-alicia-robinson/

Hughes, S. (June 12, 2022). From Carni to Ibiza: Agr SS23 has got you covered. Culted. https://culted.com/agr-knit-just-won-london-fashion-week/

Sidhu, T. J. (February 8, 2021) AGR finds the uncommon thread in British knitwear design. The Face. https://theface.com/style/agr-alicia-robinson-knitwear-fashion-design-london

Stanley, J. (February 14, 2022). AGR Is Taking Knitwear in a Technicolor New Direction. Hypebeast. https://hypebeast.com/2022/2/agr-alicia-robinson-knitwear-fall-winter-2022-interview

Williams, H.  (2020). Studio visit: Alicia, AGR Knit. The Basement. https://basementapproved.com/fashion/studio-visit-alicia-agr-knit/