About The Endery – Knitwear Rooted in Craft, Creativity, and Community
Our Story
The Endery is a knitwear brand founded on the belief that fashion can bring people, cultures, and ideas together in meaningful ways. Launched in 2019, The Endery grew out of Harkened, a knitwear manufacturing company that collaborated with artisans in Lima, Peru, to bring handcrafted production to design-driven brands.
Our roots in manufacturing shape everything we do, from our understanding of natural fibers and expert knitting techniques to our exploration of innovative materials and modern production methods. Rather than approaching knitwear as an outside observer, we have built our knowledge from the ground up, learning directly from the people who have dedicated their lives to the craft.
Under the creative direction of Lindsay Degen, The Endery explores the distinctive possibilities of knitwear through color, geometry, texture, and unexpected forms. Each collection challenges conventional ideas about what knitted garments can look and feel like, combining technical expertise with an experimental design perspective.
For us, knitwear is more than a category of clothing. It is a living craft shaped by human creativity, generations of knowledge, and the relationships that make thoughtful production possible.
The Art of Knitwear: Where Tradition Meets Innovation
At The Endery, we believe that exceptional knitwear begins with a deep understanding of the craft itself.
Our creative director, Lindsay Degen, developed a connection with knitting at the age of three, when her grandmother first taught her the skill. Growing up with a hands-on approach to making things, she continued to explore her passion by studying knitwear design at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD).
Her journey reflects the tradition we seek to preserve: knowledge learned through the hands, refined through experience, and passed from one generation to the next.
This philosophy is shared by the artisans we work with in Peru, where knitting is not simply a technical skill but a profession, a cultural practice, and a meaningful part of everyday life.
We bring this heritage into our collections by combining traditional expertise with contemporary design and advanced knitting techniques. Our work explores the relationship between material, structure, color, and form, creating distinctive pieces that celebrate the versatility of knitwear.
Although many of our products are machine-knitted, each piece is shaped and refined through human expertise and careful attention to detail. We believe technology and craftsmanship can work together, allowing us to explore new creative possibilities while honoring the knowledge behind every garment.
Our Creative Vision
The Endery is an ongoing exploration of what fashion can become when creativity is allowed to move beyond convention.
We are fascinated by the possibilities of knitwear: how a change in texture can transform a familiar silhouette, how color can create unexpected visual relationships, and how geometry can turn a simple garment into a distinctive design statement.
Our collections explore these ideas through thoughtful experimentation, combining unusual combinations of materials, innovative structures, and expressive design details.
We create knitwear for people who appreciate originality, craftsmanship, and clothing that reflects a distinctive point of view. Rather than simply following seasonal trends, we seek to develop pieces that encourage a different way of thinking about what we wear and how we experience fashion.
For us, great design is not only about appearance. It is also about how a garment feels, how it is made, and the people and processes behind its creation.
Lima, Peru: The Heart of Our Community
The story of The Endery is inseparable from Lima, Peru, a city that has shaped our founder's personal journey and our approach to business.
Lindsay Degen spent 15 years living in Lima, a place she continues to consider one of her homes. During that time, she became immersed in the world of knitting, learning from experienced craftspeople and developing relationships with artisans who shared their knowledge, techniques, and dedication to their work.
Over time, these relationships grew into a close-knit team built on trust, shared experience, and a common commitment to craftsmanship.
Lima also introduced a different rhythm of working and living. Its emphasis on relationships, community, and long-term connection helped shape our belief that meaningful businesses should be built through collaboration rather than the pursuit of short-term results alone.
Today, although Lindsay lives in New York City, the relationships she developed in Peru remain central to The Endery's identity.
We believe the greatest part of craftsmanship is the community that grows around it. Every collaboration represents an opportunity to exchange knowledge, build lasting relationships, and bring together people who might otherwise never have met.
Our Approach to Responsible Production
At The Endery, we believe the future of fashion depends on creating better relationships between design, manufacturing, people, and the environment.
Our approach is grounded in a desire to build more thoughtful production systems through long-term partnerships and a deeper understanding of the manufacturing process.
We work closely with skilled artisans and manufacturing partners, valuing their expertise and recognizing the contribution they make to each collection. By building our supply chain relationship by relationship, we aim to create a production model that places people and collaboration at its center.
We also explore the use of recycled materials and natural fibers as part of our broader approach to knitwear design. Material choices are an important part of the conversation about fashion's environmental impact, and we believe the industry must continue examining how products are made, used, and valued.
We recognize that positive social impact does not automatically eliminate environmental impact. Responsible fashion requires ongoing reflection, better decisions, and a willingness to explore more sustainable ways of working.
For us, progress begins with asking meaningful questions: How can we create products people truly value? How can manufacturing systems better support the people involved? And how can the fashion industry develop more responsible relationships with materials and resources?
These questions continue to inform our work and inspire us to explore new possibilities.
More Than Fashion: A Human Connection
The Endery began with a desire to connect worlds, cultures, and ideas that might never otherwise come together.
We believe creativity flourishes when people with different experiences and perspectives have the opportunity to collaborate. Our work brings together contemporary design thinking, Peruvian knitting expertise, international creative influences, and a shared appreciation for the art of making.
These connections extend beyond the finished garment. They influence how we build our team, develop our collections, and think about the role of a fashion brand in the wider world.
We are interested in creating more than products. We want to contribute to a culture of collaboration, curiosity, and meaningful exchange—a space where people can learn from one another and create something greater together.
The Endery represents an ongoing conversation about the clothes we want to wear, how we want to feel in them, and the systems we want to support through our choices.
We believe the journey matters just as much as the destination, and that the strongest foundations are built through trust, shared knowledge, and long-term relationships.
Our Mission
Our mission is to create distinctive knitwear that celebrates craftsmanship, encourages creative exploration, and strengthens the connections between people and cultures.
Through thoughtful design and collaboration with skilled artisans, we aim to expand the possibilities of knitwear while honoring the traditions and expertise that make it special.
We are committed to exploring innovative materials, supporting meaningful partnerships, and questioning conventional approaches to fashion production. We believe that beautiful design and responsible business practices should be part of an ongoing conversation, informed by curiosity, experience, and a willingness to improve.
Our goal is not simply to produce clothing, but to build a brand that reflects a more connected and considered approach to fashion—one that recognizes the value of the people, knowledge, and relationships behind every piece.
Our Vision: A More Connected Future for Fashion
At The Endery, we see knitwear as a meeting point between tradition and innovation, individuality and community, design and craftsmanship.
Every collection reflects our belief that clothing can carry more than aesthetic value. It can tell a story about the hands that shaped it, the cultures that inspired it, and the relationships that made it possible.
We will continue to explore the possibilities of knitwear, build meaningful connections across borders, and question how fashion can become more thoughtful in the way it is designed and produced.
Because the most rewarding part of making something is not always the finished product. It is the knowledge shared, the relationships formed, and the community created along the way.
The Endery — Distinctive Knitwear. Thoughtful Craftsmanship. Connected Communities. |
