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| Purl Soho | |
|---|---|
| Name | Purl Soho |
| Industry | Retail, Textiles, Crafts |
| Founded | 2007 |
| Founders | Nicolette and Jezra Kaye |
| Headquarters | Manhattan, New York City |
| Products | Yarn, Needlework Supplies, Fabrics, Patterns |
Purl Soho Purl Soho is a Manhattan-based retail and online retailer specializing in knitting, crochet, sewing, needlework, and fabric supplies. Founded in the late 2000s, the company operates a flagship store and an extensive e-commerce platform offering materials, patterns, and classes that intersect with contemporary craft, design, and small-business entrepreneurship. The business has attracted attention from design communities, lifestyle publications, and textile artisans across North America and Europe.
The company was established by Nicolette and Jezra Kaye and developed in the context of artisan retail growth alongside boutiques such as Etsy, Brooklinen, Anthropologie, Williams-Sonoma, and Crate and Barrel. Its emergence coincided with a resurgence of interest in handicrafts connected to movements represented by Make: Magazine, Lucky Peach, Kinfolk, Dwell, and institutions like Cooper Hewitt, Museum of Modern Art, and V&A Museum. Early visibility was aided by coverage in outlets including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Vogue, The New Yorker, and The Atlantic. The founders’ approach aligned with trends advanced by designers and entrepreneurs like Martha Stewart, Amy Butler, Anne Choi, Sarah Hatton, and educators linked to Parsons School of Design, Rhode Island School of Design, and SCHOOL OF VISUAL ARTS. Purl Soho’s development paralleled shifts influenced by events such as New York Fashion Week, the rise of Instagram, and retail experiments by Nordstrom, Barneys New York, and Saks Fifth Avenue.
The company stocks a curated selection of yarns, fabrics, and notions similar in scope to offerings from brands like Malabrigo, Drops Design, Rowan, Quince & Co., Madeline Tosh, and Berroco. Complementary products reference tools and accessories used by practitioners familiar with manufacturers like Janome, Brother (company), Bernina International, Pfaff, and Singer (sewing machine brand). Pattern and book selections reflect influences from authors and makers such as Elizabeth Zimmermann, Kaffe Fassett, Ysolda Teague, Nora Gaughan, Tin Can Knits, Amy Herzog, and publishers including Interweave Press, Potter Craft, and Abrams Books. Supplies are organized to serve customers ranging from hobbyists associated with groups like Ravelry and Knit Picks to professional designers connected to CFDA and Council of Fashion Designers of America initiatives.
The flagship store is located in Manhattan and follows a retail model similar to specialty shops like Spoonflower, Mood Fabrics, Merchant & Mills, and Liberty of London. Expansion considerations reflect patterns observed in chains such as Joann Fabrics, Hobby Lobby, IKEA, and international boutiques like Liberty (department store), while maintaining artisanal identity akin to McNally Jackson Books and Housing Works. Physical retail design choices show dialogue with projects by firms linked to Norman Foster, Frank Gehry, Zaha Hadid, and interior designers who have collaborated with retailers such as Restoration Hardware and Muji.
Aesthetic sensibilities draw from modern craft movements championed by figures like William Morris, Bauhaus, Charles Rennie Mackintosh, Le Corbusier, Joseph Albers, and contemporary artists featured at Tate Modern and Guggenheim Museum. Color palettes and textile choices reflect affinities with designers such as Paloma Picasso, Calvin Klein, Donna Karan, Issey Miyake, Dries Van Noten, and pattern traditions traced through Liberty Fabrics and Scandinavian design exemplars like Arne Jacobsen and IKEA. Product photography and print design reference editorial practices from Vogue, Elle Decor, Architectural Digest, and creative directors who have worked with Condé Nast and Hearst Magazines.
Purl Soho runs workshops and classes paralleling community programs offered by organizations like New York Public Library, Brooklyn Brainery, Maker Faire, Craft Council (UK), and The Smithsonian Institution. Instructors and collaborators include independent designers, educators from Parsons School of Design and Pratt Institute, plus guest makers associated with studios such as Schoolhouse Electric, Brooklyn Botanical Garden, and collectives similar to Artists Space and The Armory Show. Community outreach strategies mirror partnerships seen between retailers and non-profits like Citymeals on Wheels, God's Love We Deliver, and arts initiatives funded by National Endowment for the Arts and New York State Council on the Arts.
The company maintains a robust e-commerce site and publishes original patterns, tutorials, and editorial content in the tradition of lifestyle publishers such as Kinfolk, Apartment Therapy, Design Sponge, Lonny, and digital platforms like Pinterest, YouTube, Instagram, and Etsy. Their blog and pattern releases engage with communities on platforms such as Ravelry, Medium (website), and Substack, while e-commerce practices align with platforms like Shopify, BigCommerce, and payment integrations similar to Stripe and PayPal.
Purl Soho has been cited by lifestyle and design critics alongside brands and institutions like Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Bon Appétit, Food & Wine (in craft-food crossover contexts), New Yorker Festival, and cultural commentators appearing on NPR, BBC, and CBS News. The shop’s influence on contemporary craft mirrors discussions involving authors and curators such as Claudia Molitor, Stephen Fry (commentary contexts), Elizabeth Gilbert, and scholars from Columbia University, Harvard University, and Yale University who study material culture. Its role in revitalizing interest in needlecrafts situates it within broader conversations about artisanal production, small-business retailing, and the cultural economy of handmade goods.
Category:Retail companies based in New York City