Krizia The Icons Animalier Knitwear
Animalier Knitwear
Ready-to-Wear · Archive animals

Animalier Knitwear

Krizia's animal-motif knits turn faces, claws, stripes, and spots into signature graphics.

$162 at Farfetch

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Story & heritage

Mariuccia Mandelli founded Krizia in 1954 and built the house around sharp ready-to-wear; her 1964 black-and-white debut helped define that vocabulary. The archive later kept returning to animal graphics, giving Krizia a recognisable shorthand that ran from knitwear to accessories.

These five pieces show that language clearly: tiger, face, leopard, claw, and panther motifs are worked into Italian-made knits so the image becomes the garment's structure rather than a printed afterthought.

Materials & craft

The pieces rely on wool, cashmere, mohair, and wool-blend bases, with intarsia knit or embroidery used to build the motifs directly into the fabric. That keeps the surfaces graphic while preserving the comfort and stretch expected of knitwear.

Krizia's animalier pieces read as collectible but wearable: crew necks, V-necks, cropped cardigans, and short-sleeve tops all let the motif do the work while the silhouette stays simple.

woolcashmeremohairintarsia knitanimal motifsMade in Italy

How to choose & style

The strongest version is the tiger jumper; wear it with plain denim or sharp black tailoring so the graphic stays front and center. The face sweater and leopard cardigan are softer entry points if you want the archive feel with less contrast.

For a more fashion-editor finish, pair the claw top or panther knit with a fluid skirt or a narrow trouser so the motif reads as a deliberate statement, not just a novelty print.

Crew neckV-neckCropped cardiganShort-sleeve topOversized fit