Belfast, Northern Ireland
Founded by Amy Anderson and Joel Anderson
Kindred of Ireland began with an old photograph of a woman working in a linen mill.
The woman was Winnie, founder Amy Anderson's grandmother, and the photograph brought a piece of her family's history into focus. Both of Amy's grandparents had worked in Northern Ireland's linen industry, and growing up, she'd heard stories about the mills and the generations of people whose livelihoods were connected to the fabric.
After studying textile art, design, and fashion at Ulster University, Amy began thinking about how she could bring that heritage into the present. In 2020, she founded Kindred of Ireland with her husband, Joel, creating a clothing brand that celebrates traditional Irish textiles through contemporary design.
The collections are full of expressive details: sculptural sleeves, generous bows, unexpected proportions, and silhouettes that give familiar fabrics an entirely different personality. Working with Irish linen, Donegal tweed, beetled linen, and traditional crochet, Kindred draws on generations of textile knowledge while making room for experimentation.
The clothing is made on the island of Ireland, keeping production connected to the communities and craftspeople behind its materials. The business also commits 10% of its profits to Flourish, a Belfast charity supporting survivors of human trafficking and exploitation.
What began as a way to reconnect with a family story has become a celebration of the possibilities within traditional craft. Kindred of Ireland makes clothing that feels rooted in history without being stuck in it, pieces intended to be worn, loved, and eventually passed on with stories of their own.
