The brand’s history began with a personal story. Yulia Krestinina dreamed of beautiful and comfortable clothes made of knitwear, and when her search was unsuccessful, she created Lyna+. She moved towards her dream carefully and consciously – first, in 2016, she opened an atelier in which knitted items were created according to individual measurements. There were a lot of bumps in the process – the lack of experience and traditions affected.
“There were practically no knitwear production facilities in Europe, and everything that is being created now is the result of our trial and error,” says Yulia. “Besides, there are a lot of difficulties in working with knitwear. Let’s start with programming, a complex process at the intersection of IT and knitting; there are literally no specialists with the proper expertise.”
In addition, knitwear is surrounded by many stereotypes. And the most common is that knitted clothing is suitable exclusively for home use. “With the right approach, which we develop and promote in every possible way at Lyna+, knitwear can become the basis of a complete wardrobe,” adds Yulia. “Judge for yourself: if you add linen to a product, you will get a wonderful summer option, if cashmere is a full-fledged winter item.”
In addition to composition, Lyna+ pays a large role to design. Craftsmen think through the cut and each dart, predict how the item will behave in motion. The result is trousers, skirts and jackets that are suitable for both everyday life and business dress code.
Philosophy
Three years later, the studio transformed into a full-fledged brand. Julia backed up her experience, developments and the formed stylistic vision with high-tech equipment – today all Lyna+ clothes are created on knitting equipment from the Japanese manufacturer Shima-Seiki. The experimental production is located in Moscow, which allows the team to work on creating the collection in real time. Lyna+ continues to purchase natural, high-quality raw materials from Italy, despite the fact that delivery times have increased significantly.
Most collections are produced in limited editions, which allows us to avoid overproduction and quickly respond to customer requests. “We are creating a philosophy and culture of not just high-quality, relevant long-term clothing,” adds Yulia. “Through clothing, we unite people in a community where we support each other.” For this reason, for example, in the new boutique of the brand in Khamovniki, there is a large table in the center of the hall – every client comes here as if she were a guest, here she is always waiting for tea and treats, company and an interesting conversation.
A new era of the brand began with the arrival of fashion influencer Oksana Rim – she became the creative director of Lyna+. “Oksana is the ideal ambassador for me,” says Yulia. “With her arrival, the brand has changed a lot, because in terms of visual vision, understanding of trends and insight, she has no equal. Her visual perfectionism matches my understanding of product quality perfectly.”
Yulia Krestinina and Oksana Rome
Knitwear as art
Knitwear for Lyna+ is a multifaceted material. And ideal for experimentation. “We are almost the only ones on the market who use different compositions when working with knitwear,” adds Yulia. — We have the largest summer capsule of knitted clothes (cotton with modal) for leisure and travel, and linen capsules, which all fashionistas have fallen in love with. We want to show that cozy suits for country walks and dresses for going out can be knitted.”
The collection features a women’s line, which has literally everything (from scarves and gloves to jackets and dresses), and a small capsule of basic knitwear for men. We are developing clothes for children.
You should start getting acquainted with the brand with a seamless turtleneck – the flagship item with which the Lyna+ story began. True, you will have to face a difficult choice – decide on the color. The brand offers both classic options (gray, milk chocolate, caramel) and brighter and bolder ones (Barbie, saffron, wasabi). Julia advises “advanced users” to take a closer look at the travel collection: “You’ll definitely get a new feeling in knitwear.” Here are, for example, sundresses, ribbed trousers and shorts, tank tops and mesh dresses.
Expanding boundaries
Lyna+Casa is a limited collection of home products, which includes throws and decorative pillows with designer prints, designed by Oksana Rim. “Knitwear is not only about the warmth that warms you, but also about the warmth that wraps you up and takes care of you,” says Yulia. — The appearance of a shoulder poncho for cozy evenings is a logical continuation of this philosophy. Then it’s a matter of technology, experience and design.”
The blankets are available in five different colors and two compositions: hypoallergenic cotton with modal (suitable for allergy sufferers) and wool. The blanket is packed in a case that can be used to store small accessories: remote controls, napkins and other small items that will always be at hand and will save the interior from visual noise. The colors were not chosen by chance: a combination of calm pastel shades and bright accent colors can enliven even a restrained interior. An interior pillow along with a blanket can be an excellent gift.
