The mixed ready-to-wear brand, Pringle of Scotland, presented in Milan on Tuesday its capsule collection, a play on geometric patterns and colours, designed by the English artist/write/musician Liam Gillick. The collection comprises eight bags and two jumpers for men and for women, and will initially only be available through selected retailers.

On sale at Milan’s concept-store 10 Corso Como until the end of the month, the collection will next be available for a fortnight at London’s Tate Gallery before heading to the Landmark shopping centre in Hong Kong. “Colour is what this brand needed”, said Benoit Duverger, managing director of the historic Scottish company specialised in knitwear – which was bought in 2000 by the Fang family, one of Hong Kong’s largest knitwear manufacturers – since 2009.

For the past two years, the brand has been working extensively on refocusing on its quintessence and on its iconic product. “There wasn’t previously much coherence, with a plethora of styles and different offerings. We needed to redefine the essence of the brand, which was the very first – founded in 1815 – to use knitwear for anything other than underwear. It invented the twin-set and the famous diamond pattern! So we’ve come back to its roots with a high quality knitwear product and it seemed to me like it would be interesting to ask external designers and artists to reinterpret its classic designs, as with this collection from Liam Gillick”, explained Benoit Duverger.

Appointed as creative director in March 2010, Englishman Alistair Carr, who has also worked for Balenciaga, has contributed for the past two seasons to the process of redefining the brand by finding inspiration in its archives, whilst nonetheless coming up with something that would be commercially successful. “I’ve tried to build a complete collection, bringing together at the same time commercially-successful pieces with fashion items, using a lot of knitwear – around 70% - but also tailoring with jackets, suits, etc.”, the designer said.

Retail distribution has been reviewed, with the brand moving more towards high-end boutiques. Pringle of Scotland can be found in particular in the principal American department stores, one of its biggest markets along with England. In France, the brand is available at Les Galeries Lafayette and Le Bon Marché. In total, it has five boutiques in England and Asia.

Swiss architects Fuhrimann and Gabrielle Hächler have just been appointed by the brand to re-work its retail network. The first project, Pringle of Scotland’s concession at Harvey Nichols in London, will be unveiled in September. The brand has also announced that it will be taking part in London’s first fashion week for menswear.