Myrrhia Knitwear’s Spring 2014 collection is made from yarns sustainably grown in the USA. 

This season the Oakland, CA based Myrrhia Knitwear is launching a gorgeous collection of fine knitwear, skirts, dresses, camis and soft scarves made in the USA.

The entire collection has been made from organically grown California cotton, naturally dyed silks and eucalyptus fiber-based Tencel and manufactured in a local, zero-waste factory. A collection for the stylish, sensible and ecologically aware woman, Myrrhia’s latest wares are empowering yet feminine and minimalist yet  intriguing.

Founded in 2010 by designer Myrrhia Resneck, a native of Santa Cruz, CA, Myrrhia Knitwear is a sustainable and conscious fashion label with the aim “to be part of the antidote to a culture who treats it’s people–and the environment that sustains them–as disposable.” The label has achieved this goal by setting up a system of fashion manufacturing that is local and ethical, made with locally grown and sustainable fibers, and designed to embody the essence of an aware, stylish and intelligent woman. 

Drawing inspiration from the protests in Brazil, and the historical female figures that have rebelled and risen against oppression, Myrrhia Knitwear’s Spring 2014 collection plays between the duality of romantic softness and strong female edge. The collection includes simple yet alluring silk camis and slips, tailored moto chic jackets, hand knit dresses and tops, infinity scarves and structured skirts. The entire collection is made with love at Myrrhia’s studio in Oakland, CA, where zero-waste practices, conscious creation and a love of sustainable fashion reign supreme.

Featured in the Spring 2014 collection is knitwear made from organically grown cotton from a farm only 90 miles away from Myrrhia’s studio in Oakland. Sally Fox, owner of Foxfibre farms, has been experimenting with the cultivation of organically grown cotton in California since the 1980s. She has successfully created a method of growing apparel grade cotton that is easier for handspinners to work with and is in the process of  cultivating various cotton types that take natural dyes very well. Myrrhia Knitwear has been supporting the development of Foxfibre’s gorgeous yarns by turning them into spectacular and wearable garments that will bring stylish and sustainable self-expression  to your Spring wardrobe!

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Images: Myrrhia Knitwear, Foxfibre

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Designer Myrrhia Resneck’s Spring 2013 collection features elegant, flattering, edgy knitwear, sustainably made in California.

One important part of sustainable fashion is local manufacturing, and it can still be challenging to have a fully “Made in the U.S.” fashion line. Oakland-based knitwear designer Myrrhia Resneck of Myrrhia Fine Knitwear has invested heavily in localized production and made it her goal to provide livelihoods in the textile industry in her community.

After one year of production, Myrrhia decided to invest in a Stoll knitting machine – currently the only one of its kind in Northern California – which she intends to use to create a micro industry for surrounding farms and other knitwear lines (NoCal designers, take note).

Myrrhia uses sustainable materials including locally sourced fiber from Northern California and wool and cotton that is sustainably grown and harvested as well as milled into yarn locally. The company is also involved with the Fibershed movement – an organization dedicated to regionalizing fiber sourcing.

In starting her knitwear line, Resneck continues a long-standing family tradition of fashion-related business endeavors. Her maternal great-grandfather started out peddling clothes out of the trunk of a car, her grandfather and great-uncle operated a chain of women’s clothing stores in the Midwest, and, at age 7, Resneck’s paternal grandmother taught her to knit. That same week, she had designed and completed her first project – a pair of green slippers. Fast forward a couple decades and although her focus has changed, that initial passion for knitwear remains.

Myrrhia’s knits and accessories are inspired by “friends and family, technology, and space.” The recently released Spring 2013 collection features patterned maxi skirts, lace knit tops, cropped and boyfriend cardigans, flowing long dresses of scrolling lace and playful short dresses of scoop and boatneck cuts as well as versatile infinity scarfs made of soft, silky knits. The pieces showcase the designer’s sustainability efforts, using fibers like un-dyed organic cotton (grown only 90 miles from Myrrhia’s studio by Foxfibre) and Lenzing Tencel, which is harvested sustainably from Eucalyptus trees.

The pieces are highly wearable, timeless, yet fashion forward. The geometric shapes, lace-like textures and elegantly paired colors work just as well for day as for night. The rich earthy tones and vibrant shades of blue, purple, and teal are universally flattering and goes beyond seasonality to suggest a style of “elegant-femininity-meets-majestic-warrior-goddess nuances.”

We think we can identify with that.

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