First Born Knits

BORN OUT OF A DREAM TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE

First Born is a luxurious, bespoke Australian knitwear label with a conscience.
Karolina Roze is the designer and creative mind behind First Born Knits.
After graduating with honours from the Whitehouse Institute of Design Sydney in 2004, Karolina began working for various fashion houses in Australia. It was here that she started to doubt her career choice as she saw firsthand the unethical way fashion was produced, the poor wages involved and immense waste, especially in the fast fashion industry. In 2008 she decided she wanted to change her life path and took a sabbatical overseas.
After travelling the world extensively, Karolina found what she was always dreaming of in South America. In Argentina and Peru she discovered the most luxurious and beautiful fibres and the best hand craftmanship in the world. This inspired her to return to her design roots and create a bespoke line of hand knitted garments where she could personally control every aspect of the design and production processes and make sure that each element is sustainable and ethical.
She now divides her time between cosmopolitan Buenos Aires- where the First Born Knits creations come to life - and Sydney, which she calls home.
"Buenos Aires is the Paris of South America with inspiration around every corner" says Karolina. "It's a pleasure to live and work with so many local talented artisans in an environment so rich in culture, colour and life. Bringing my creations to the rest of world is a dream.”
Most pieces have a story behind them - an energy, experience and preciousness which comes from the history of creating something by hand and over a long period of time.
First Born Knits is about creating hand crafted clothing with luxurious comfort and directional style, without compromise. Focusing on fair trade, Karolina and the label, support the talented local weavers, indigenous artists and people in the pre- Andean and Andean mountains of Peru and Argentina.