Knits and Lifetime Favourites

Sandra Bullock, Tori Spelling, Jennifer Garner, Rachel McAdams, Anne Hathaway, Taylor Swift, Sarah Jessica Parker, Britney Spears, Jessica Biel, Kelly Clarkson and Teri Hatcher all have one thing in common. They all like Line Knitwear.

Long-time friends and designer duo Jennifer Wells and John Muscat are speeding their way to the top of the industry with their Line Knitwear label. Revitalizing the use and wear of knits into sophisticated and timeless pieces, their collections are full of go-to pieces that you can rely on when plans pop up. Their latest collection for spring/summer, Time Traveler, is according to the designers inspired by exotic places such as Bali and India. The colour palette was suitably more organic than that of their previous collections.

The label is sold in about 500 stories around the world including show rooms in Australia, Hong Kong and all over Europe. Although the friends have especially seen a great amount of success within the last three years, they have been at it for much longer. “We’ve worked very hard for 10 years, “ says Muscat. Before all of this started, the duo started Line Knitwear to give woman very wearable statement pieces. “Every piece that we design for Line has to be wearable. When dressed down, we want [the pieces] to be like comfort food and when dressed up, for Line to be her go-to piece,” says Muscat.

It can be difficult to work in a pair, especially since design is such a creative and subjective process, but that’s not the case for these two friends. “We have a good relationship. I get stuff started and John brings in the reality of the sales and business,” says Wells. Both designers agreed that Wells brings in the creativity and design aspect that is the lifeblood of the label, but Muscat’s smart business sense makes the brand wearable, accessible and sellable to the general public.

The Fashion Design Council of Canada (FDCC), which runs LG Fashion Week in Toronto, has shown Line’s collections for the past few seasons to editors and fashion devotees. Although many designers are now opting out of seasonal fashion shows due to the credit crunch, the duo thinks having a fashion show is very important and beneficial for their brand. “Runway shows are so impactful. There’s something about it that allows the viewer to go on a journey with you,” says Muscat.

Staying true to their Canadian roots, Muscat mentions their special relationship with luxury department store Holt Renfrew. “Holt Renfrew’s had our back since the day we started,” he says. With that said, the designers agreed that they wouldn’t be able to just choose one store to sell their collections because of the large spectrum of styles that the label caters to. It is refreshing to see Line take fashion where many designers don’t — clothes for any woman who just wants to look great, feel comfortable and still have money left in the bank. “The Line girl, well she’s a broad stroke. We have so many age brackets and so many different categories of women who wear our clothes,” says Muscat. He especially was passionate about the fabrication of all garments, saying they only use “top of the top fabrics.” And it easily shows by just looking at and feeling the clothes and comparing it to others.  Stay tuned for their upcoming fall/winter collection.

For more information on the designers and to look at their collections, visit lineknitwear.com.•