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Elisa Yip is a designer and creative entrepreneur based in Seattle, with a career rooted in knitwear, material exploration, and form. She is the designer and founder of sskein. With over two decades of experience across design and development, her work focuses on texture, structure, and the relationship between garment and wearer. She approaches fashion as both a craft and a system, balancing artistry with functionality.
Seattle Refined: What do fashion and style mean to you in terms of art?
Yip: Fashion, to me, is a form of living art. It’s not only about how something looks, but how it’s made, how it feels, and how it moves with the body. Style is the personal expression of that — how a woman brings a piece to life in her own way. What interests me most is the intention behind it. The choice of material, the construction, the restraint in design. When those elements come together, fashion becomes something lasting — quiet, considered, and deeply human.
How long have you been designing?
I’ve been designing for 25+ years.
What kind of fashion do you design?
I design women’s luxury knitwear using natural fibers.
Tell us about your business.
sskein is a study in form and intention. We believe style is meant to last, crafted from natural fibers and designed with intention. Defined by quiet detail and lasting quality, each piece moves with ease through a woman’s life. Rooted in slow fashion, our work honors the earth and the artisans who shape it — knitwear that is timeless, versatile, and refined.
Can you tell us about your artistic process and how the different stages work into it?
My process begins with material. In knitwear, everything starts with the yarn, its texture, weight, and how it behaves. From there, I think about form and function together, how a piece should feel on the body and move through daily life. I spend time refining the silhouette, removing what feels unnecessary until it reaches a point of clarity. Development is a dialogue between design and craftsmanship, working closely with makers to ensure each detail is considered and well executed. At every stage, the focus is on intention. The goal is to create something that feels effortless, but is deeply thought through, pieces that hold their shape, their purpose, and their place over time.
Tell us about where the inspiration for your styling/designs comes from?
Inspiration often begins with material and feeling rather than a single reference. I’m drawn to natural fibers, textures, and the way knitwear can shape and move with the body. From there, I look at how women live, what they need to feel comfortable, confident, and at ease throughout the day. I’m also influenced by a sense of restraint — removing what feels unnecessary and focusing on what remains. It’s less about following trends and more about refining essentials. The goal is to create pieces that feel relevant now, but still hold meaning over time.
What fashion icons do you have/who inspired you when you were young?
I remember picking up British Vogue and studying each page, the designers, the silhouettes, the women who defined them. One image stayed with me: the 90s supermodels photographed by Peter Lindbergh. There was a sense of ease and strength in how they carried themselves, elegant, timeless, and quietly fearless. I was drawn to that balance. Women who are confident in who they are, and clothing that supports them, pieces that are considered, functional, and allow them to move through the world with intention.
What experiences in your life have affected your designing/business?
Becoming a mother shaped my perspective in a very real way. You begin to understand how many roles a woman moves through in a single day, and how little time there is to think about what to wear. That experience made me more intentional in how I design. I focus on pieces that are practical, adaptable, and refined, knitwear that can move from day to evening with a simple shift in styling. I design for women who wear many hats. Not defined by one role, but by the way they move through life. The goal is for them to feel at ease, confident, and quietly put together — without having to think twice.
If we want to see more of your work, where should we look?
On our website and at pop-up events this fall.
What is next for you? Anything you’re working on right now that you’re really excited about?
We’re currently waiting to hear back on an application for a local fashion show this September, which I’m really excited about. It feels like a natural moment to share the work in a more expressive, physical way. At the same time, I’m continuing to develop the next collection — refining materials, exploring new textures, and deepening the language of knitwear at sskein. The focus remains the same: thoughtful design, lasting pieces, and a continued commitment to how women live in what they wear.
Lastly, how do you take your coffee? We ask everyone!
Just milk.
About ‘Artist of the Week’: This city is packed with artists we love to feature weekly on Seattle Refined! If you have a local artist in mind that you would like to see featured, let us know at hello@seattlerefined.com. And if you’re wondering just what constitutes art, that’s the beauty of it; it’s up to you! See all of our past Artists of the Week in our dedicated section.
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