RARE 1971 David Hockney The Ritva Man Sweater. Number 47 out of 150 made. Hang it on the wall. Leave it to someone in your will. Sell it for more than you bought it. For it is a very special sweater – a wearable work of art. Small Stain on the Sleeve (See pictures). Four leading artists (the fourth was Elisabeth Frink) were asked to design motifs for Ritva’s already popular multi-coloured sweaters. Each design was made in a limited edition of one hundred and fifty. They have long sleeves and round necks, are knitted in stocking stitch, and hemmed at the edges. Multi-coloured sweater of machine-knitted acrylic. With a purple body with blue, lime green, chocolate brown, ochre, white, pale pink, pale blue and black striped sleeves. The front of the sweater is appliquéd with an embroidered rectangular panel depicting a palm tree, the terracotta roof of a white building, and a sign reading’PICO BVD / -> 1171′ against a blue sky with white clouds. A man’s head is visible at the bottom of the picture. The panel is surrounded by an embroidered gold frame. History of the Artist. Ritva and Mike Ross were part of the vibrant art, fashion and music scene of 60s and 70s London and they produced some of the most innovative knitwear of the period. Mike settled there after leaving the USA, attended a non-diploma course at the RCA in 1963-4, while Ritva came from Helsinki, and went to the London School of Printing. She later became a model, and worked at Jane & Jane where Jean Muir was the designer. Ritva started her self-named company with Mike Ross in 1966, wholesaling to boutiques such as Annacat, Browns, and Countdown on the Kings Road. Ritva, a self-taught knitter, designed and made samples of women’s and children’s wear. Her body-hugging garments included mini-dresses, skirts and even jumpsuits and her work was featured in magazines such as Nova, Harpers & Queen, and Life. Ritva knitwear used a variety of stitches including crochet, and different yarns: wool, silk, acrylic, in a range of colours. These were imported from France where they were produced in richer colours than those available in Britain. Outworkers knitted the garments using domestic knitting machines, and all were hand-finished in the Ritva workroom. Mike began The Ritva Man label in 1969, designing sweaters for his Hyde Park baseball team of American ex-pats. These Home Run and Strike Zone sweaters included appliquéd motifs, and lower sleeves of a different colour, inspired by the layered shirts worn by baseball players. After an article by Molly Parkin of The Times, the sweaters became fashion items in mens boutiques like Blades and Michael John. In 1971 Mike Ross asked artists Elizabeth Frink, David Hockney, Patrick Hughes and Allen Jones to design motifs for the first limited edition’Artist Collection’. The sweaters incorporated an embroidered appliqué, translated from the original design under the guidance and approval of each artist in collaboration with Mike Ross. Perspex box frames were also available so sweaters could be displayed when not being worn. Mike Ross worked with four other artists – Patrick Caulfield, Antony Donaldson, Ken Price and Richard Smith – to produce a second series in 1972, the same year that the Ritva shop opened at 8 Hollywood Road, off Fulham Road. Mike Rosss film and record business contacts lead to many sweater designs for films such as Clockwork Orange (1971) and The Shining (1980). The Rolling Stones, Simon and Garfunkel and The Doobie Brothers all had Ritva sweaters made in support of album tours. Although these were designed primarily as menswear, they had unisex appeal and were ordered and worn by celebrities such as Brit Eckland, Raquel Welch and John Lennon and Yoko Ono. The company closed in 1980. The item “Vintage RARE 1971 David Hockney The Ritva Man Sweater Number 47 of 150 made” is in sale since Thursday, September 5, 2019. This item is in the category “Clothing, Shoes & Accessories\Specialty\Vintage\Men’s Vintage Clothing\Sweaters”. The seller is “skipper1717″ and is located in Los Angeles, California. This item can be shipped worldwide.
- Modified Item: No
- Country/Region of Manufacture: United Kingdom
- Look: Mod/GoGo
- Decade: 1970s
- Material: Acrylic
- Original/Reproduction: Original
- Color: Purple
- Size (Men’s): Unknown (XS/S)
- Brand: The Ritva Man
- Size Type: Regular