Like and Share: Woolen "Meta-Irony"

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Igor Kostrikov is a 29-year-old designer from Yekaterinburg, who currently lives and works in Moscow. He is the founder of the knitted clothing brand "Metailoniya". Since September 2020, Igor has been machine knitting, creating unique sweaters, scarves, vests and other products from high-quality natural materials. His work reflects a combination of contemporary design and traditional knitting techniques, making each piece unique and stylish. The Metaironia brand strives to offer consumers not only beautiful but also environmentally friendly clothing that emphasizes each person’s individuality.

The term "metaironia" arose when I started knitting. I found myself surrounded by women passionate about this hobby, who never missed a chance to make fun of me, probably because they weren't used to seeing a two-meter-tall young man at a knitting machine.

Igor on his own Igor manages all aspects of his business: from design and yarn selection to purchasing, sampling, knitting, sewing, photography, packaging, social media management, and sales. This is his first business, and over the years, he has accumulated valuable experience and built a loyal following. As the business grows, Igor recognizes the need to build a full-fledged team to improve efficiency and expand capabilities.

I use a semi-industrial machine manufactured in 1997, making it 24 years old. I have only one machine, which is responsible for untying all products. We have a yarn warehouse and a finished goods warehouse in one location, as well as a small sewing room where individual parts are transformed into finished products. In the future, I plan to organize a filming space, as well as create workshops for washing and drying, and modernize production.

Igor became interested in knitting in 2014-2015. He noticed that knitwear was a rather conservative genre, dominated by traditional patterns like deer and diamonds, and that contemporary designs were rare. If you could find a designer sweater, it was usually from brands like Raf Simons or items made from acrylic-wool blends.

I bought an old hand knitting machine from 1974 and began exploring its capabilities. I hoped the process would be simple, but in practice, everything turned out to be much more complicated. As a result, without mastering knitting, I sold the machine, thinking: "It's good that I at least tried." A few years later, I moved to Moscow and faced burnout at work. I had worked for almost 10 years as a copywriter, creating ideas for advertising campaigns, slogans, and scripts. This prompted me to think about knitting again. This time, I found a 4-month online course and successfully completed it. Then I bought a similar knitting machine and started practicing knitting.

Igor began his creativity by knitting a scarf with the inscription "I don’t inject", which, in fact, was a joke, since he actually injected himself. Using a hand-knitting machine without computer control, he created one scarf in about a week, working in the evenings. However, his hobby quickly gained popularity, and Igor began receiving orders for knitted items. My main rule is that the plot must evoke a smile. In my design practice, I employ every joke that comes to my mind. My copywriting experience guides me toward creating striking lettering, but these days I focus on visual communication of ideas, not just text. I strive to find harmony between the aesthetics of a product and its ability to evoke a clear response from the viewer. I am able to create unique designs almost every day and directly engage with audience reaction, which is impossible when collaborating with knitwear factories. This allows me to adapt more flexibly to market demands and client preferences, ensuring the freshness and originality of each new project.

Igor is implementing an upcycling project, within which he creates tops from textile production leftovers. His work focuses on waste reduction and environmental sustainability, making his products not only stylish but also eco-friendly. By using leftover materials, Igor contributes to environmental protection and promotes responsible consumption.Each sweater leaves behind about 100–150 grams of high-quality Italian wool and cotton material that's typically discarded. I initially didn't want to throw away these scraps, as the fashion industry is one of the largest sources of global waste. A friend and I decided to create a series of summer tops from these scraps. I plan to introduce a winter version soon—mittens. I'm also open to collaborating with upcycling projects, as scraps are regularly generated and can become the basis for new creative pieces. This is a vast field for creative expression, for which I lack the time and resources.

Dear readers, pay attention to the production of physical goods. Refuse to trade in abstract concepts and invisible products. My experience in advertising shows that even the most brilliant ideas can be distorted by incompetent clients. What you create yourself will be exactly as you intended. Create unique and high-quality physical products that reflect your personality and vision.