Interview with Annisophie Lee, designer of the new "Pan Pacific" collection for WAK

Hi knitters!

Today we introduce you to Annasophie Lee, a Californian knitter living in Australia, who was in charge of designing the new WAK collection – the Pan Pacific collection, which was inspired by the beach and coast as the result of her experience in Sydney.

We’re leaving you an interview here so that you can learn a little more about her and get inspired.

How did you start knitting?

My mother taught me to knit in primary school, and my first project was a truly ugly pink scarf that had so many additional cast on stitches that it eventually became more of a shawl.

Where and how did you find out about us?

Browsing the web for knitwear inspiration I came across WAK nearly 1.5 years ago!

How has your experience been when working with WAK?

Working with WAK is a dream. They’ve been supportive and cool about everything and have given me so much creative control — it’s really an honor.

What were you inspired by when creating the collection for WE ARE KNITTERS?

The Pan Pacific collection was inspired by my experience growing up in Coastal California and moving to Sydney, Australia. I looked to the ocean and coast for color and texture inspiration, and I wanted to create pieces that made sense for the laid-back, coastal lifestyle.

Who is it directed at?

The pieces for this collection I hoped would be versatile and easy-to-wear. They’re made for free-spirits, friends in camper vans traversing the coast together, swimming and exploring the days away.

In your collection there is a bag and a backpack – what do you always have in yours?

WAK’s fabric yarn inspired the bags in the collection. The Bronte Backpack and Beachside Bag were designed to be easy to throw on — catch-alls for all your beach wares. I’m a big fan of backpacks, I wear mine everyday. I always carry my notebook with me to jot down ideas, a light scarf for when the fog rolls in, and of course my trusty 3: wallet, keys, and phone.

Places (trips) that have inspired your collections

This collection, inspired by my coastal childhood, contains special inspiration from days spent with my family and friends in Big Sur, Pfeiffer State Park, and Point Lobos, in California. It was especially inspired by a recent trip to the upper most beaches of Sydney: Avalon, Whale Beach and Palm Beach, where I spent a lot of time knitting the breezy Avalon Dress.

What is your favorite garment in the collection?

My favorite piece is the Beachside Bag. It was also the first piece I knitted. I love the way the fabric yarn knitted up, and I was really excited to create something I hadn’t really seen before! I definitely see it becoming my go-to beach bag when summer arrives.