Like everybody, I was totally in love with Burberry’s rendition of the poncho – with customisation thrown in. But since then has the poncho just become an accoutrement of the normcore styling we see every day now?
I completely fell for Vík Prjónsdóttir’s Icelandic wool blankets, shaped to look like the wings of the iconic British swan and eider duck. They have been designed as multi-functional, cosy swathes, either for throwing over your shoulders or your sofa. “The Wing is an adaptable small blanket to use as you choose,” said the designers. “Designed to hang from the shoulders, you can slip your hands through its layered ‘feathers’ for comfort that won’t slip, or use it as a dramatic sofa or chair throw.”
“The world of birds is one of dazzling variety and colour, they offer dreams of flight and freedom, exploration and escape.”
The yarn comes from the only spinning mill in Iceland, and Prjónsdóttir hope to regenerate the Icelandic wool industry using creative design such as this. Whilst Burberry ponchos are made from fairly low grade wool and cashmere in Scotland, the Icelandic Wings are made with 100 percent wool from Icelandic sheep who have evolved in complete isolation for 1,000 years. This results in a unique combination of fibres – with outer fibres being water resistant and inner fibres providing insulation. The latest designs, Swan and King Eider, also reference the character and colour combinations of their namesakes.