What started as a simple search for the perfect welcome gift turned into a full-blown love letter to Lake Norman.
When best friends Anne McGraw and Larisa Kamp tried to find cute, comfortable Lake Norman apparel for visiting friends, they came up short. Everything they found felt basic. They wanted soft, flattering, classic pieces they were excited to wear themselves. So they decided to make them.
That idea became LKN Local.
The name came naturally. Anne and Larisa love the Lake Norman community and are passionate about supporting local. Their designs are screen printed locally in Mooresville, and they enjoy connecting with other small business owners and neighbors. LKN Local simply fit who they are.
Their goal is for customers to feel cute and comfy while also feeling good about supporting locals. They donate to two Lake Norman nonprofits, giving back to the lake and its habitats. For many customers, their apparel becomes a reminder of a trip or summer vacation, and Anne and Larisa love knowing their merch is out in the world tied to special memories.
Quality matters to them. They use high-quality apparel blanks and durable printing methods and refuse to cut corners. For them, it is about quality, not quantity.
Lake Norman plays a huge role in their lives. They spend their summers boating, paddleboarding, kayaking, and watching their kids attend wake surfing camps. While they love the surrounding communities, the lake itself is their happy place.
Anne and Larisa first met in 2007 while teaching at the same school in Baltimore. Larisa moved to Mooresville in 2016 when her husband relocated his environmental construction business. A couple of years later, Anne’s husband joined the same company, and Anne’s family followed. Best friends reunited, they decided to build something together.
Today, they run the business side by side. Larisa is an artist and former art teacher, while Anne has a degree in graphic design. They design everything together. Sometimes inspiration comes from traveling, visiting shops, or spotting apparel they like. Larisa may sketch ideas on paper, Anne digitizes them, and together they choose fonts, colors, and layouts.
All of their apparel is screen printed or embroidered locally by another women-owned Mooresville small business, Stitch98.
They do not pick favorites, but tees are popular in summer and hoodies in winter. Stickers are always a hit, sweatshirt blankets make easy gifts, and hats are major bestsellers. They love spotting people out in the community wearing their apparel and say it never gets old.
LKN Local keeps their products classic rather than seasonal and does not offer custom items. When customers ask, they try to connect them with other local businesses that can help.
Supporting local is everything to them. They even offer local delivery, sometimes dropping gifts on porches. On rare occasions, they have delivered orders directly to docks by jet ski.
Customers can shop online or meet them at pop-ups. Their next market will be this spring at Tawba Walk in Old Town Cornelius on April 25. Their products are also carried by several local retailers, including Ace Brawley School Hardware and Sweet Grass Home in Mooresville, Inspired Lake Norman and Visit Lake Norman in Cornelius, and Albertine Florals and Gifts in Denver.
Giving back is a core part of their mission. A portion of proceeds goes to Catawba Riverkeeper Foundation and Lake Norman Wildlife, two organizations committed to protecting Lake Norman’s water, natural resources, and wildlife habitats.
Looking ahead, Anne and Larisa are always working on new ideas and product drops. They are currently creating spring designs with fresh colors and new takes on best-selling favorites. After taking a break from events last year, they are excited to return to in-person markets in 2026.
Their advice to anyone thinking about starting a business in the Lake Norman area is simple: do it. The local small business community is supportive, and connecting with other owners has been both fun and educational. They admit they had no idea what they were doing when they started and are still learning every day.
At the heart of it all, LKN Local exists to help people express their love for Lake Norman, just like Anne and Larisa do.
