crystalyn kae

Crystalyn Kae Brennan, Founder

Crystalyn is inspired by taking a beautiful thing from the past, and infusing it with modern functionality, transforming it into something that will be useful again. Her first encounter with the magic of unconventional style began at an early age. She spent most summer Saturdays with her grandfather Jack. Dressed to the nines with his own odd flair for fashion, mixing red plaid with yellow argyle, paired with white perforated leather shoes and matching belt, Grandpa's effortlessly off-putting way of mixing prints resonated with her 5 year old self.

By her teens, she could be found working with her dad - learning how to restore 1960's-era muscle cars. They'd find a diamond in the rough: then spent every spare moment wet-sanding, painting and her favorite: re-upholstering. It was around this time that she took her first Home-Ec class, and instead of following the assignment of creating pajama pants - she chose to make a duffle bag with zipper.

After earning her degree in Apparel Merchandising and Textiles, with a year abroad doing a life-changing internship at Liberty of London, she found a way to meld her love for retro upholstery, with Grandpa's anachronistic pattern-mixing influence. She launched her first collection of handbags in 2001, which she took door to door to boutiques in Seattle, San Francisco and New York- and a company was born.