V&A
Leopard Print Cashmere Turtleneck Sweater Twinset
1980s · 1980s · Italian
Designer
Valentino
Production
ready-to-wear
Material
cashmere
Culture
Italian
Movement
Power Dressing
Influences
animal print fashion trend · luxury sportswear
A luxurious cashmere turtleneck sweater featuring an all-over leopard print pattern in brown and black spots on a beige ground. The garment displays classic 1980s proportions with a relaxed fit through the body and sleeves that taper to fitted ribbed cuffs. The high turtleneck collar is rendered in solid beige ribbing, creating contrast against the animal print body. Ribbed bands also finish the hem and cuffs in matching beige. The leopard spots vary in size and organic shape, creating an authentic animal print aesthetic. The sweater's construction appears to be machine-knitted cashmere, demonstrating the era's embrace of luxury materials in casual wear.
sweaterregular fitturtle neckhip length
Connected To
Influences·luxury sportswear
SHARED20 years · cross-culture · cross-category
These two pieces trace the unlikely migration of luxury leisure from country club to street corner. The leather tracksuit's cognac piping and premium hide construction borrows the same "expensive casual" formula as the leopard cashmere twinset — both deploy animal motifs (literal leather, feline print) as shorthand for untamed luxury.
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