Savannah Olivier is the designer of Maiden Knitwear, a collection of patterns that bring to life heroines of the past and page.
If you've ever gazed longingly at a historical garment behind museum glass, perhaps a gown of gathered silk, or a gleaming suit of armour, curving over the shape of someone long past, you might have thought: why don't we make these anymore? For Savannah, knitting has the power to do just that. Maiden Knitwear patterns cleverly use silk, mohair and merino to evoke the touch and feel of historical materials, weaving memory with modern techniques.
It started in 2015, when Savannah moved to Paris alone, settling in the artistic Marais neighbourhood. In between graduate school classes, long walks through museums, and bites of buttery pastries, she picked up her first set of needles and began transforming her two degrees in literature, and background in graphic design, into knitting patterns.
Inspired by the practice of multiple custom fittings - an essential step in haute couture, as established by the French House of Worth - all Maiden Knitwear patterns teach you how to customise your garment to fit you perfectly.
Savannah now lives in the French countryside with her husband and two daughters, reading, crafting, and raising two tiny heroines of her own.
Follow Savannah on Instagram at @maidenknitwear and find her patterns on Ravelry.
