Victoria and Albert Museum: Archive of Art and Design

Ritva / Mike Ross / Ritva Ross, knitwear designers and manufacturers, papers, [196-]-2001

Introduction and summary description

Context

The knitwear business Ritva (1966 - ca.1980) was started by Ritva Ross, who had the idea of using crochet squares to make a dress, and her husband Mike Ross. The first designs were ordered by Annacat boutique in South Kensington. One was purchased by Lee Radziwell and appeared on the cover of Life magazine in November 1966. Having rented a flat in Chelsea which doubled as a workroom and showroom, Mike and Ritva Ross built up a network of out-workers using hand-operated frames.

The firm offered a limited number of styles but allowed customers to have garments made up individually in a range of colours and patterns. The brand was first publicized in Nova magazine and sold through stores and boutiques in London and in the U.S.A.. In 1969 Mike Ross started the Ritva Man label with sweaters inspired by baseball uniforms, and a Ritva boutique was opened at 8 Hollywood Road, Chelsea. Ritva knitwear was heavily influenced by popular culture and contemporary art and introduced innovations such as the knitted minidress. Mike Ross collaborated with David Hockney, Allen Jones, Elizabeth Frink and Patrick Hughes to produce the limited edition artists collection of sweaters. A Little Ritva label for childrenswear was also started and commissions were undertaken for the film and music industries. Mike and Ritva Ross separated in 1977 but Ritva Ross continued to operate the Ritva business abroad until ca.1980.

Michael Anthony Ross was born in 1936 in Portland, Maine, U.S.A. and was educated at Syracuse University. He settled in London in 1960 and attended the Royal College of Art painting school from 1963-1964. In 1973 he launched the Bear Creek General Store at 10 Hollywood Road to sell imported traditional American goods.

Ritva Ross (née Tera) was born in Helsinki in 1941 and moved to London in 1961 where she attended the London School of Printing and Graphic Arts. Prior to starting Ritva she also worked as a fashion and showroom model.

Scope and content

Records of the Ritva knitwear business: early records (1960s); design papers (ca.1966-ca.1975); other business records (1967-2000); press cuttings and articles (1968-ca.1980); project files (1970s); orders (1970-1975); photographs (1971-2001).

Records of Bear Creek General store: publicity material (1973-1975).

Papers of Mike Ross: personal papers (2001).

Organisation

The archive has been separated into three sub-fonds: records of the Ritva knitwear business; records of Bear Creek General Store; papers of Mike Ross.

Provenance

Gift of Mike Ross, 2001.

Access

General information on access to material in the Archive of Art and Design is available on the archive pages of the NAL website.

Detailed catalogue