While Sue Sartor has become known for her signature flounce dress, she’s slowly begun expanding her design reach with menswear, and now in her fall 2024 collection with the addition of knitwear.

“Because the process is so heirloom and bespoke, our quantities are limited. We hope to increase quantities eventually,” she explains.  “As a small batch brand, it is important to maintain focus and not lose sight of what branded you and what are your hero products.”

Read on to learn more about this new venture from Sartor herself.

Why did you decide to expand the line? 

I love trying new categories that make sense for the brand. I have been a lover of fine knitwear forever. I adore layering our joyful, pretty dresses with sweaters and personally wore my Fair Isle sweaters in the ’80s on repeat! I missed them and really wanted our brand to reimagine them.

Why knitwear? 

Knitwear, particularly cardigans and vests, are the perfect silhouettes to add to our line. We are always looking for the ideal layering pieces for our signature balloon sleeve flounce dresses. The new knit pieces are designed to complement all of the silhouettes in our collections and fit beautifully over our voluminous feminine sleeves.

How do you think the designs will complement the dresses you’re so well known for? 

First of all, we had to design this Heritage Knitwear Capsule with the same amount of detail and love for color, pattern and texture that our line is known for. We always adore mixing and combining exuberant elements. So, while all of the thread colorways and patterns were carefully selected and hand-dyed to work back with our collection, they also pair perfectly with a chic denim skirt or your favorite pair of jeans. Versatile pieces with personality are key.

What was the design process like for the knitwear collection? 

We wanted to work with Peru and ensure that all of these stunning pieces were soft, not a bit scratchy and high quality. It was very important to me that they be ethically sourced, organic and sustainable. I wanted them to be extremely unique and hard to find. We chose the best baby alpaca possible.

The result is so soft and, for me, easily rivals cashmere. We are extremely pleased with how they turned out!

How does it differ from other designs? 

Knitwear is a completely different process. Since we outsourced this project to a family-led mill and hand-knitwear team in Peru, it was a unique experience. Everything we have designed up to this point is made in-house in our own workrooms in Jaipur and Delhi with our teams there. So, by using a knitwear specialist consultant in the United States, we were able to have our hand in all of the design and quality choices while also making sure it ran smoothly.

Learn more about Sue Sartor and her designs in this story from the inRegister archives.