About

Avid knitter, entrepreneur, beloved grandmother and the inspiration for this label.

Blanca, my grandmother, taught me how to knit when I was a kid. Ever since, knitting has always been present in my life. It took me more than ten years to finally gather the courage to leave my previous profession and dedicate my life to knitting, embarking on this great adventure. 

Blanca Linares Handmade Knitwear wants to preserve the craft of knitting. All items are designed and handmade in our Munich atelier. We use high-quality natural fibres, such as cashmere, merino,  pima-cotton from Peru , silk, and mohair; to name just a few. The love, passion and care that goes into our work is what makes it so special. 

As a result of our passion and exploration of the craft, our designs are unique. A blend of classic lines with added details that make each piece special. Quality being one of the core ethos of our brand, with the proper care our pieces will last you for years.  

Blanca’s story and the DRESS that started it all

A few years ago, while I was visiting my family in my hometown (Lima, Peru), I convinced my mother to let me go through her -hidden- vintage treasures. Whilst looking, I found a beautiful turquoise knitted dress. I instantly fell in love with it and, as luck would have it, it was my size and fitted me perfectly. The dress was more than 15 years old but looked like new and still does until today... 10 years later!

When my mother saw me trying it on, she casually said: ‘That’s your Grandmother's dress’. Until that moment I was completely unaware of the history that The Dress carried, the insight it gave me into my family's history, and, of course, the incredible woman my grandmother was.

It all began in 1965, when my Grandmother Blanca decided to become an entrepreneur and started a knitwear production company in Lima (Peru). The business started essentially with: one knitting machine -an Italian Coppo gauge 10- and one employee - the knitting technician who operated it. Blanca, was not formally trained in fashion, however she took inspiration from fashion magazines and ‘Burda’ patterns. Her designs were simple but beautiful; timeless high-quality knitwear that would last a lifetime.

At the beginning, my Grandmother ran the business entirely from home and had no shop. Her marketing  strategy was simple: her daughter Marcela - a.k.a my mother - would wear the clothes; she essentially became a walking mannequin! The typical question would arise: “I love that sweater, where did you get it?” which was the key to expanding the business.

Her stylish designs and the high quality of the production gained her brand, almost instantly, a great reputation and orders started pouring in. Once Blanca opened her own shop, it was an instant success. Whatever was produced during the day, was taken down to the shop by 6pm. Customers figured it out very quickly, and almost every day the shop was sold out by 9pm.

Blanca closed her business in order to retire at the age of 79, in 1988.

Today, 30 years later, I am relaunching Blanca Linares Handmade Knitwear to preserve the craft, quality and tradition of handmade knitwear. Each item designed & manufactured in my Munich atelier – all inspired by Blanca Linares who taught me how to knit more than 25 years ago.