Liz Newman Knitwear: Back to the Future

In the 1980s, South Australian designer Liz Newman put Australian knitwear on the world stage. Her hand-knitted jumpers, featuring koalas, kangaroos, Uluru and native wattle, were worn by celebrities and everyday people alike, all produced by a network of South Australian women who knitted from home using patterns and wool sent by post.

For years, those original patterns were thought lost, until knitwear collector Amanda Blair tracked them down in a Birdwood basement. Now, Barbara Reinfeld and Kerry Hill from Dulcie’s Vintage and the Handknitters Guild of SA have lovingly curated them into an exhibition at FABRIK in Lobethal. Many garments have been knitted to the original designs, while others offer a modern twist.

A colourful celebration of a remarkable South Australian fashion story, running throughout August at FABRIK, open Wednesday to Sunday, 11am to 4pm.