For Melbourne designer Margie Woods of Viktoria & Woods, the cardigan’s shift from staple to statement piece took place on the Miu Miu runway in the 2023 winter collection from designer Miuccia Prada.
“The cardigan has been a part of our own collections since the very beginning,” says Woods. “It’s the very first piece we launched with. What has changed is the way that women are wearing it since that Miu Miu show.”
“As well as being a strong layering piece it now has that sexy edge. Guests at our Australian Fashion Week show were styling them up in eye-catching ways.”
To celebrate Viktoria & Woods 20th anniversary, a logo cardigan was produced, but long-length and prim, fitted styles are part of the current collection.
“Part of their appeal is that they are an investment piece,” Woods says. “If you look for cardigans made from a quality fibre in a great knit, they will definitely carry you through upcoming seasons.”
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Anna Quan designer Anna Hoang credits the versatility of cardigans for their current popularity, particularly with concerns about the cost of living.
“More and more customers want clothing that can perform a multitude of functions,” Hoang says. “That’s why mine work as a dress, beneath a coat or with pants. I see them worn in ways that I never expected, but that’s the joy of fashion.”
Anna Quan’s most popular cardigans are belted, allowing wearers to cinch the waist.
“It lets the wearer have a more cinched and feminine silhouette,” says Prue Webb, co-founder of personal styling service The Wardrobe Edit. “But there’s a lot more that you can do with a cardigan.”
Webb suggests knotting fitted styles at the waist, wearing them as scarves or even on top of evening wear.
“It’s that same juxtaposition as a man’s blazer over a ballgown,” she says. “With a cardigan there are no rules. Once upon a time, you would wear a fitted cardigan on top of wide pants, but now go big. Have some cardigan confidence. The chunkier the better.”
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