about
Beauty inside and out
"I believe that when a person feels beautiful, they look beautiful,” says Kenlynn Wilson, Designer and Master Craftswoman. Her knitwear collection, KENLYNN, is designed to enhance the inherent beauty of each client. "There is something magical when a person puts on a garment and it makes them smile. It’s as if the outside world can now see the expression of their inner style and creative spirit. This is the greatest gift to me as a designer, to witness that moment when a person glows from the inside out.”
Inspired by diverse cultures and designs from her global travels, Kenlynn, a Bay Area transplant from the East Coast, moved to California in 1996 to escape Boston's harsh winters. "I donated my winter coats to a shelter and never looked back."
Kenlynn's knitwear collection seamlessly blends her passion for movement, design, anatomy, and fashion. Her background as a professional ballerina, a degree in international business, and studies at the Rhode Island School of Design all contribute to her unique aesthetic.
Launching her collection in 2011, Kenlynn quickly established a niche for beautiful clothing that reflects her strong commitment to elegant, flattering silhouettes, luxurious natural yarns, meticulous craftsmanship, and responsible sourcing. She has fostered lasting relationships with many generational, family-run mills in Italy.
Every KENLYNN item is crafted by Kenlynn herself, using one of her five knitting machines. Her technique, known as fully-fashioned knitwear, involves shaping garment pieces entirely by increasing and decreasing stitches during the knitting process, eliminating material waste. The knitted pieces are then hand-assembled, with every seam hand-stitched.
For Kenlynn, knitting combines movement, texture, three-dimensional form, and color, all expressed from a single strand of yarn. She works almost exclusively with color, passionate about its power to complement complexions, uplift moods, and, in a small way, make the world a brighter place.
"I encourage my customers to wear their knits every day and not to save them only for special occasions. I have a quote, “Knits for everyday play,” and I love it when a customer puts on a piece and finds that playfulness. Getting dressed should be fun and an expression of that person’s uniqueness, and I try to embody that spirit in my work."
Read more about the store as featured on Hoodline
Read more on sustainability...
