kristin haskins simms | the designer
Upon graduating from the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) with an MFA in Graphic Design ('00), kristin launched keydesign in response to a growing demand for her work. When she later launched strangefruit, she realized her true calling as an apparel designer. After the success of the T-shirt line, she began experimenting with some of the Tees from the men's inventory, dyeing them, cutting them up to transform them into women's tops. She finally created a T-shirt jacket which launched the ready-to-wear collection.

Kristin's great-grandmother and grandmother were great seamstresses who could make garments without patterns. Her great-grandmother made beautiful quilts from old clothes, more out of necessity. Kristin never knew she could sew or design until she started experimenting with the T-shirts.

Earning a BA in English and French from the College of Arts and Sciences at The University of Pennsylvania (1993), working in finance in New York, studying art history in Paris, and photography in New Zealand, kristin’s diverse and well-rounded experiences have provided a “big breath for creativity” which she has poured into her work.