Meet Lynn - LYNN RITCHIE - New York, New York

Meet Lynn - LYNN RITCHIE - New York, New York

Meet Lynn

Lynn Ritchie is a contemporary womenswear designer whose unique way with color and prints has won her a devoted following. Sales of her collection, currently sold in more than 1500 specialty stores throughout the US, are consistently strong. Ritchie’s customers look to her for exciting, fun, and well-made pieces to add spice to their wardrobe.

“I always design my pieces with attitude,” said Ritchie. “The right fabric and fit, combined with an exciting or dramatic color, print or texture can have a profound affect on the way you feel. Dressing should be about so much more than comfort. It’s a sensual experience.”

Ritchie, who targets the rapidly growing better-to-bridge market, feels her signature patterns and designs fill a unique niche.

Ritchie’s creative talent is in her genes. Her grandmother was a well-known custom-womenswear designer on Chicago’s famed Gold Coast at the turn of the century. Ritchie’s mother, while fulfilling the traditional role of homemaker, also managed to run a thriving millinery business from home.

Ritchie’s memories of growing up in Wheaton, IL, revolve more around fabric shopping and art museum trips to Chicago than homework or suburban life. She made all of her own school and holiday outfits and won many local competitions. As a senior in high school, Ritchie entered a national design competition sponsored by The American Wool Council and won the Most Fashionable Award.

Like so many others, Ritchie yearned to be in the center of the action and after a brief stint at Washington University’s Fashion School (location) she transferred to New York’s Parsons School of Design. Ritchie’s graduated from Parson’s in 1967. During the next twenty years, she honed her design skills and learned the fashion business at numerous 7th Avenue fashion houses.

Ritchie founded Lynn Ritchie Corporation in 1990 by dying high-quality silk tops in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, because she “believed there was a need for them in the marketplace.” The designer slowly expanded to prints, new fabrics, skirts and other items.

According to Ritchie, her company is like herself – it never stands still.
“My business is my lifestyle,” said Ritchie. “I like change –that’s what makes my life fun. My clothes reflect that.”

Lynn lives in New York City with her partner, a successful actor, and her dog, Pumpkin. She travels extensively, most notably throughout Asia, and loves to garden, listen to jazz, and practice yoga and Pilates and dance.