Hello all - new here, just recently started to get in to vintage fashion and dabbling a teeny bit in resale, and was wondering if anyone had any information about John Ashpool sweaters? I found this sweater recently, and have been trying to find out more about it for the last week or so and came up (mostly) empty handed. The only thing I found out was that the New York Metropolitan Art Museum has a sweater attributed to John Ashpool in their costume collection, but thats about it. It's really beautiful, and I'd love to learn more about it. Thanks so much for any advice/information/help!
Reminds me of an English hippie or cool cat days. There is a furniture designer by that name. Not sure if any relation.
Can you post a closeup of the label please? and what country are you posting from? (this helps to start the search for trademarks etc. off in the right area!)
Hello, thank you for responding. Here's a pic of the labels. The sweater that is attributed to John Ashpool in the Met costume collection is under a label called 'Knitting Inc London', so I'm not sure if this is an earlier or later work, or something else entirely. I'm located in the US, (California Bay Area, specifically) Thank you again!
That was the trademark I found as well but I couldn't see the connection, now I can see the material content is also labelled in Italian, it must be the same one. I was watching a program the other night about knitting through history and there was a guy making very similar things in the 70's in Britain, although his were all super bright colours, the shape with the yoke and huge sleeves was the same. I will have to look up his name.
I found references to him in a number of articles by searching the google news archives. The articles are all pay per view, but you can read snippets. Click here to see. The earliest is 1973 and the latest 1981. He's from London, but there are references to him using Native American designs. There's another sweater of his here: Code: http://www.farfetch.com//shopping/women/john-ashpool-vintage-vintage-jumper-item-10134429.aspx Google books also has lots of snippets, and one full page ad from New York Magazine in 1973 (scroll up a touch) Your lovely sweater, reminds me of the designs of the Arts & Crafts movement, which I think had a 70s revival.
John Ashpool sweaters are really be beutifuly designed sweaters. The company named John Ashpool designed various types of clothing materials. Their products are shown in the exibition in London Museum.
Hello I'm the John Ashpool who made the sweater in question. It was designed in Berwick upon Tweed , England and produces in Umbria Italy. Peace and Beauty t all. JA
Just to let you know John - I bought two long hooded cardigans - one black and one blue - with a whole chunk of my student grant in the seventies - starved for weeks but simply had to have them - I still have them now and love them as much if not more than ever - thank you for designing and making such wonderful garments - I have always seen them as art works and just happen to be able to wear them too
Here's a cardigan bought in Bath England in the early 70s. It's made in England and is Acrylic and silk.
