{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O1763126"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1763126/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2024NU2183/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2024NU2183/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"low","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2024NU2183","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2024NU2192","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2024NU2193","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2024NU2196","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2024NR9072","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2024NR9069","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2024NR9070","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2024NR9071","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":null},"record":{"systemNumber":"O1763126","accessionNumber":"T.1-2024","objectType":"Waistcoat","titles":[{"title":"Porridge","type":"named collection"}],"summaryDescription":"Sally Levison (1923 – 2006) was an innovative knitwear designer based in the island of Gozo, Malta. Levison began her career as a Buyer for retail outlets in the Isle of Wight and London in the early 1960s. Noticing that knitwear was a popular product for retail outlets at the time, Levison had the idea to reinterpret high fashion fabric looks as knitted or crocheted designs. As the looks she hoped to achieve were difficult to realise with the machinery then available, she developed ways to produce them by hand-knitting. After finding two business partners to help realise her ideas, Levison set up a small premises in Gozo in 1968. With the help of the Maltese government, by 1970 the business had moved into a factory on the island, employing 500-1000 knitters and crocheters.\r\n\r\nLevison’s designs were initially sold from her showroom in Mortimer Street, London, in the late 1960s. They quickly gained international success and were sold to customers in France, Italy, Spain, Finland and the USA. In 1973, due to Levison’s ill health, the business was sold to knitwear designer Mary Farrin and became ‘Levison Originals by Mary Farrin’. \r\n\r\nThis waistcoat comes from one of Levison’s strongest ranges, her ‘Porridge Line’ (named after the oatmeal colour of the yarn). This range also introduced a progressive unisex look which proved very popular. One of the aims of Levison’s business was to allow women to build a co-ordinated look in their wardrobe. She was responsible for helping popularise co-ordinated and mix-and-match outfits, with designs fitting in with the contemporary vogue for hand-knitted, close-fitting clothes in the early 1970s. They were frequently featured in Vogue magazine and other publications. The waistcoat matches a pair of pedal-pushers in the V&A collection, also designed by Levison (T.347-1989).\r\n\nThis waistcoat top belonged to Brenda Lyons who, according to her daughter, ‘was an exquisitely dressed woman who was always interested in the fashion world', 'even working for a fashion house in the 1950's, Rahvis, which I believe was near South Molton Street.’ It is probable Brenda Lyons purchased the top in Levison’s London showroom on Mortimer Street, close to Brenda Lyon’s’ place of work. As the label states, the top was hand-knitted in Gozo, Malta. ","physicalDescription":"Knitted waistcoat-style top 'porridge' cream colour yarn with grey and white flecks. The waistcoat has a black knitted collar, black fringe at the waist and is closed with black tassle ties.\r\n","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Levison, Sally","id":"AUTH397938"},"association":{"text":"designer","id":"x36960"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[{"name":{"text":"Sally Levison","id":"AUTH397939"},"association":{"text":"","id":""},"note":""}],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"wool","id":"x40131"}],"techniques":[{"text":"hand knitting","id":"x30442"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Knitted yarn (Bracken yarn, made by Jaeger)","categories":[{"text":"Fashion","id":"THES48957"},{"text":"Knitting","id":"THES266024"},{"text":"Womenswear","id":"THES49044"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"T&F","id":"THES48601"},"images":["2024NU2183","2024NU2192","2024NU2193","2024NU2196","2024NR9072","2024NR9069","2024NR9070","2024NR9071"],"imageResolution":"low","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"006","id":"THES385809"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Knit waistcoat top","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Malta","id":"x32751"},"association":{"text":"designed and made","id":"x39722"},"note":"Garment label says the top was hand-knitted in Gozo, Malta"},{"place":{"text":"London","id":"x28980"},"association":{"text":"purchased","id":"x40824"},"note":"The donor recalls purchasing it in London, this was probably at Levinson's showroom on Mortimer Street"}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1968-1970","earliest":"1968-01-01","latest":"1970-12-31"},"association":{"text":"purchased","id":"x40824"},"note":"The label says the piece was hand-knitted in Gozo. Levinson set up her premesis in Gozo in 1968, and moved into a factory in 1970. Levinson sold the business to Mary Farrin in 1973 and the name became 'Levinson Originals by Mary Farrin'\r\n\r\nThe donor recalls her mother purchasing the piece in the 1960s, so it is likley it was purchased between these dates. It it also congruent with the design. "}],"associatedObjects":[{"object":{"text":"T.347-1989","id":"O367874"},"association":""}],"creditLine":"Given by Rochelle Yehezkel in memory of Brenda Lyons Myers","dimensions":[],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"The V&A acquired a pair of pedal-pushers by Sally Levison in 1986 (T.347-1989), donated by the designer. The V&A waited three years in the hope of finding the matching top to acquire alongside the pedal-pushers. Levison was unable to locate the matching top and offered to have a matching waistcoat made especially for the museum but the original Bracken yarn by Jaeger had been discontinued years before and no suitable replacement could be found. Eventually the pedal pushers were accessioned without the matching top.  \r\n\r\nIn 2023 a member of the public got in touch with the V&A, kindly offering this waistcoat top to the V&A collection. It appears to be the matching-top for the pedal-pushers, made in the Bracken yarn.","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Hand-knitted wool waistcoat style top with tassels, designed by Sally Levison, made in Gozo, Malta, about 1968-70","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["T.1-2024"],"accessionNumberNum":"1","accessionNumberPrefix":"T","accessionYear":2024,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-04-09","recordCreationDate":"2023-09-04","availableToBook":true}}