‍ ‍I am thrilled to announce that I designed and knitted a swimsuit that is modeled by

KATE UPTON in SPORTS ILLUSTRATED SWIMSUIT 2013 magazine! 

ABOUT THE SHOOT
It is Swimsuit‘s charge to feature gorgeous models in the latest swimwear and accessories, in the most picturesque settings around the globe.  For the 50th anniversary issue, editor MJ Day lead supermodel Kate Upton, photographer Derek Kettela and the crew on an expedition to Antarctica. Yes, ANTARCTICA.

The team made history – holding the first-ever fashion photo shoot on the continent, while completing the magazine’s mission of shooting on all seven continents in seven months.

It is really unbelievable when you think about it.  Right?

ABOUT THE SUIT
My design for the swimsuit was inspired by traditional Irish fishermen’s sweaters – those cream-colored, wool jumpers (as the Irish call them) with busy patterns you see Irish-Americans donning here in the U.S. on Saint Patrick’s Day.

Composed of cable motifs and various other stitches, the busy patterns have great significance, and traditionally, the sweaters were hand-knitted by women for the fishermen in their families.  The lofty cables add warmth, and each cable motif signifies a different meaning, ranging from safety, good luck, and hard work to wealth and a successful catch.  The motifs and the placement of those motifs were distinct to each clan – each having its own individual design for its sweater.  And to be quite frank, the explicit design provided a way to identify the family of a man lost at sea!

For my swimsuit design, I chose the cable motifs for “fashion over function,” as we did not expect for supermodel Kate to go overboard.  I do hope that it kept her a tiny bit warmer while shooting in the sub-zero temps among penguins and Antarctic glaciers.

DETAILS
The Kate Swimsuit was designed and hand-knitted by Kate Preston in October-November 2012.  

The garment took over forty hours to knit.

Yarn: Malabrigo Twist yarn composed of 100% baby merino wool in colorway #63-Natural

* See the beauty of Kettela’s photographs for yourself - in the magazine, available on newsstands and in the app store.

Kate Upton knit swimsuit by Kate Preston

See it here on Sports Illustrated Swimsuit

Featured here in New York Newsday  on Feb 18, 2013
Featured here in Rockville Centre Herald on March 6, 2013
Featured here in Rockville Centre Patch  on Feb 28, 2013
Featured here in Long Island Exchange on March 15, 2013