Knitwear inspired by Scottish folklore: Meet Walker
PHOTOGRAPHY BY Jeffrey Xu
WORDS BY DAISY HENRY
“I want to encourage people to consider the value in garments that aren’t factory-made and to celebrate the character in handcrafted pieces.”
When you think of knitwear, your mind usually wanders over to chunky jumpers and soft sweaters. But what first drew us to Melbourne-based label, Walker, was its distinct and unconventional character. From lace-up corsets and pistachio knit vests to its knitted kilts, designer Lucy Walker-Cox’s Scottish heritage is evident throughout her collection.
“Each garment combines tradition with a contemporary twist,” Lucy says. Working with natural fibres, the label uses 100 per cent lambswool sourced directly from a mill north of Scotland, near where her family lives. Born in Australia, Lucy spent her childhood in Scotland before moving to Italy to do her master’s degree in knitwear, in Florence.
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Since returning to Melbourne, Lucy has interned with a host of different designers, building her skillset and learning the business side of running a fashion label. After realising the importance of small-scale production, she set out to create Walker. “I approached the collection in the way I approach getting dressed: versatile, with pieces that can be layered and styled in different ways,” she tells me.
However, her biggest challenge was ensuring the wearability of her garments. “I tend to go hard on the textiles and then worry about the pattern-making afterwards,” she explains. Though it took her longer to perfect each piece, Lucy credits the process for helping her become a better knitter.
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Tell us about you. What’s your fashion background?
I’m Lucy! I was born in Melbourne but I grew up in Scotland. I studied fashion design at Edinburgh College of Art and then did my master’s in knitwear at Polimoda in Florence before moving back here a couple of years ago. I’ve always been obsessed with the history, craft and folklore of the north of Scotland (where I’m from), so learning to knit and connect to my heritage through that has been really important to me.
How did Walker get started? Talk us through the process and the challenges.
When I first moved here I interned for some designers and then worked for a bigger fashion brand as a design assistant. That experience was really positive and it taught me a lot about the business side of fashion and about the manufacturing process, but it also reminded me of how important small-scale production and a return to craft really are to me. This led me to the decision to turn my knitwear into a brand and over the last year, I very slowly developed the first collection.
The main challenge I faced was trying to keep the pieces wearable because I tend to go hard on the textiles and then worry about the pattern-making afterwards. With this collection I really tried to develop the two things simultaneously, so all of the shaping in the pieces is engineered on the machine as I’m knitting them, for example, the cups in the corset top. It ended up taking me a lot longer than I expected to perfect the pieces because of the trial and error (and maths) involved in that process, but it’s definitely made me a better knitter and helped me hone the aesthetic of the brand.
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How has your label evolved and what are you trying to achieve now?
I wanted to showcase knitting as a traditional craft, whilst innovating and making it feel relevant to today’s world. I think the move from Scotland to Melbourne really helped me with that because the shift in context was inspiring. Through the brand, I want to encourage people to consider the value in garments that aren’t factory-made and to celebrate the character in handcrafted pieces that can be mended, darned and made to last.
How would you describe Walker to someone who’s never seen it before?
It’s soft, playful and personal! I work with natural fibres and the yarn is 100 per cent lambswool sourced from a mill near where my family lives in Scotland. I approached the collection in the way I approach getting dressed – versatile, with pieces that can be layered and styled in different ways. Each garment combines tradition with a contemporary twist.
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What are you most proud of in your work on Walker?
I’m really proud I didn’t rush it. I’m glad I took the time to experiment and stumble upon the techniques that I ended up using, rather than just going ahead with the first iterations and swatches, even though I was tempted to. Now it feels like a true representation of myself and my practice and I’m really excited to develop it further.
What do you wish you knew when you started?
That people are really nice! Asking for help is a good thing and people are usually willing to share knowledge and resources. Also, it feels obvious now but I wish I recognised how much goes into a brand beyond the designing and making. The importance of things like content creation can’t be ignored, no matter how much I might want to.
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Who do you think is most exciting in Australian and New Zealand fashion right now?
Everyone! There are so many talented designers working here. I’m a big fan of Lova Mohan, Frisson Knits and I wear my Veils of Cirrus Para skirt constantly. I’m also always in awe of what Laura and Deanna Fanning are doing at Kiko Kostadinov.
Who is in your wardrobe right now?
My Matteau Fisherman pants are a go-to, as well as some Miu Miu bowling shoes I found at Swop in Collingwood.
How can we buy one of your pieces?
My pieces are available to order on my website.
Keep up with Walker here.
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