The Kinnu store opened in 1997 in the NOLITA neighbourhood of New York City. John and Kinnari had one main canon - that everything in the store would be designed and made by them. And that all the manufacturing would be done in Kutch and Ahmedabad.

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In Ahmedabad, John and Kinnari purchased another old house at around the same time that was adjacent to their home in Jethabhai ni pol to use as their studio. All the fabric was tie-dyed in Kutch and then stitched and finished in their studio in Ahmedabad. Their designs used the vibrant colours of Kutch textiles, mixed with delicate detailing and Kinnari's trademark wired collars from her time in the Cranbrook Art Academy

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Their concept for the New York fashion world was to bring colour to a city that predominantly dressed in black. John and Kinnari's core target were middle-aged women and to provide them with vibrant and comfortable clothing that could make a statement.

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The cliental at Kinnu varied from actors like Meryl Streep and Susan Sarandon to opera singers and lawyers. The store successfully ran for eleven years until it had to be shut due to John's failing health. They shut the doors on their store in New York after the Christmas shopping season in 2007.