Linda Ohrn-McDaniel

Linda Ohrn-McDaniel is a Professor in the School of Fashion, where she focuses her teaching and creative practice in the development of knits. She conducts collaborative and interdisciplinary research within areas of advanced material development, medical prototypes, and architectural structures. Her foundational skills in material development, patternmaking and construction have informed her experience in shaping and creating knitted textiles. Linda has led the Kent State KnitLAB from the start and enjoys the intersection of education, research, and commercialization opportunities textiles bring.   

Linda’s academic career began in 2003 at Wade College, a private college in Dallas. After a year, she accepted a position at the Kent State School of Fashion in 2004. During her time at Kent State University, Linda has grown in her creative practice, teaching and leadership roles. She started her career with a focus on patternmaking, draping and surface design, but has since shifted her focus to primarily explore knit development. 

At the core of Linda’s work is the concept of how to play with shape and surface, looking at how both aspects function together to create a thoughtful and functional design. Her current focus on knitting has given her opportunities to explore beyond fashion into collaborations with other sectors including architecture. Linda also works closely with the wider U.S. knit industry. She is dedicated to the success of her students and finds real-world industry connection to be a key aspect of her teaching and creative practice.

Linda’s teaching has focused on Fashion Design Construction, Patternmaking, Draping and Knitting. When the School of Fashion started exploring ways to expand its specialist classes, Linda led the knit specialization initiative. Her hard work led to the development of three knitting-focused classes and countless individual investigations with students who wanted to develop their skills in knit development and programming. 

Expertise: Knitted textiles, technical textiles, sustainable practice, creative practice