What first drew you to textiles and knitwear as a medium?

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I've always been someone who loves making things with my hands. I was interested in lots of creative disciplines growing up, but in my early twenties I became much more conscious of slowing down and making things more intentionally. Knitting and crochet gave me that.

My grandma has been knitting since she was a little girl, so it felt fitting that she was the one who taught me. What started as curiosity quickly became an obsession. Since then I've loved exploring different fibres, techniques and the endless possibilities that come with making by hand.

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What is your creative background, how did you get into knitwear design?

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My background isn't actually in textiles at all. I studied architecture before moving into graphic design, so I've always approached knitwear through a broader design lens rather than a traditional textile one.

I think all of those disciplines influence one another. Graphic design has been invaluable in building Clara Knitwear as a brand, while architecture taught me to think about structure, material and form. Knitwear has become another way of exploring those ideas, just through a much softer medium.​

 

Which designers, landscapes, or experiences have shaped your design identity the most?

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The outdoors has probably shaped my work more than any individual designer. Spending time outside with my partner, Eliot Adams, has influenced almost everything Clara Knitwear has become.

I'm fortunate that our creative backgrounds complement each other. I design and make every piece, while Eliot is a photographer, and together we've built the visual identity of the brand. Every shoot is a collaboration, from styling and location scouting through to the final imagery. Clara Knitwear has really grown out of our shared love of design, photography and the outdoors.

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What role has the outdoors played in your life, and how does it feed into your work?

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The more time I've spent outdoors, the more I've understood what makes clothing genuinely useful. I'm interested in creating garments that people can rely on. Pieces that regulate temperature well, breathe naturally and feel good to wear in changing conditions.

I'm inspired by traditional outdoor clothing, but I like reinterpreting it in a more contemporary way. Function always comes first, but I don't think practicality and aesthetics have to exist separately.

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What was the moment you realised Clara Knitwear needed to exist? And what did the journey of creating Clara Knitwear look like?

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Honestly, Clara Knitwear began because I had a growing pile of pieces and no idea what to do with them.

I originally thought I'd simply open an Etsy shop and see if anyone was interested. Once Eliot photographed the first collection, we both realised there was an opportunity to build something much bigger than we'd imagined. It became as much about creating a world around the garments as it was about making them.

The most rewarding part has been seeing people genuinely connect with what we're creating. Since then we've continued building the brand together, bringing friends into shoots and slowly shaping something that feels completely our own.

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What were the biggest hurdles in launching an outdoor knitwear brand in the UK?

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Being a graphic designer and working alongside a photographer definitely gave us a head start creatively, but the biggest challenge has always been valuing handmade work.

People are becoming much more conscious about buying well-made, low-impact products, which is encouraging. At the same time, it's difficult to communicate just how many hours go into each piece. Not only making it, but designing it, photographing it and running a small business around it.

We're fortunate that Clara Knitwear sits alongside our creative careers, which gives us the freedom to prioritise making work we're genuinely proud of rather than chasing rapid growth.

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How has Clara Knitwear evolved since your first collections?

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The biggest change has been becoming much more experimental with materials.

There are hundreds of sheep breeds around the world, and more than sixty in Britain alone. I love discovering fibres with different qualities and thinking about how they'll perform in different conditions. Some are better suited to winter, others to lighter summer pieces.

The brand has also become much more connected to the landscapes that inspire it. The foundations are still the same, creating functional knitwear for the outdoors. But there's much more room now to play with texture, colour and form.

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You use a lot of Mohair and Recycled Wool in your products? What is the rationale for these fibre choices? How do you choose fibres that are suitable for the outdoors?

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Natural fibres have always been at the heart of Clara Knitwear because of how well they perform outdoors. Wool regulates temperature, manages moisture and naturally resists odour, which makes it an incredible material to work with.

The fibres I choose always depend on the intended use and the season. For colder conditions, I tend to favour wool because of its durability and warmth, whereas mohair is brilliant for creating lighter, more breathable pieces for milder weather. I also use recycled yarns where they're the right fit, particularly when I want to balance performance with making use of existing materials.

Every fibre behaves slightly differently, and getting to know those characteristics is what allows me to choose the right material for each piece.

 

Do you have a specific product that put Clara on the map? Or perhaps are you known for using a specific knit technique? 

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The Brenna Hood is definitely the piece most people associate with Clara Knitwear.

I honestly couldn't tell you exactly why people connected with it, but I think part of its appeal is that it feels a little different. It uses Tunisian crochet, which creates a distinctive texture that's very difficult to replicate industrially. Because it's made entirely by hand, every piece has a character that large-scale manufacturing simply can't reproduce.

It was also one of the first designs where I really started playing with colour, using two wools alongside each other to create something unique. Seeing how people have embraced that piece has been incredibly rewarding, and it's become a design I enjoy evolving each year.

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What guides your palette and textural decisions season to season?

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The colours reflect the places we spend time in. Soft greens, weathered browns, stone greys and natural creams. I'm interested in creating garments that sit comfortably within those environments rather than competing with them.

Texture is inspired in much the same way. Moss, rock faces, grasses and uneven terrain all find their way into different stitches or constructions. The Lysa bonnet, for example, grew directly from a walk through Bannau Brycheiniog, where I found myself paying attention to the surfaces around me as much as the views.

The seasons also influence how I think about weight and construction. In winter I'm drawn to denser, more insulating fabrics with a reassuring heaviness, whereas summer pieces tend to be lighter, more open and breathable. I'm always trying to find a balance between creating something that feels visually connected to the landscape and something that's genuinely suited to being worn in it.

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Do you make any design or business decisions based on sustainability, if so what are they?

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Sustainability has always been central to why I started making in the first place.

Once I moved away from following patterns and began designing my own work, it felt important to make thoughtful choices about the materials I was using. If I was going to contribute more clothing to the world, I wanted it to have as little impact as possible.

I try to source as much of my wool as I can from Britain, and I choose fibres that will naturally break down at the end of their life. For me, sustainability isn't something separate from the design process, it's one of the things that shapes every decision from the beginning.

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Where in England are you from/where do you produce your products?

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We're based in the south of England, just outside London.

I make almost every piece from home, although knitting and crochet has become something I take everywhere with me. Whether I'm travelling, sitting in a café or taking a break on a walk, I'll usually have a project in my bag.

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How does your local landscape influence your collections?

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My immediate surroundings are fairly suburban, so most of my inspiration comes from the places we travel to rather than where I live day to day.

The south coast, Bannau Brycheiniog and other national parks have all influenced different collections. It's those landscapes, their colours, textures and changing conditions, that tend to stay with me and eventually find their way into the work.

 

What does your community look like and how do you engage with them?

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Our community is mostly online, which wasn't something I ever expected.

I've never naturally gravitated towards social media, but it's introduced us to an incredible network of people who share similar values, wherever they are in the world. It's genuinely one of the most rewarding parts of running the brand.

The best moments are always seeing people wearing our pieces outdoors. Knowing something I've made has become part of someone's adventures is a really special feeling.

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How do you see Clara Knitwear fitting into the UK’s outdoor wear heritage?

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I'd love to see more outdoor brands embracing natural fibres again.

Traditional outdoor clothing relied heavily on wool long before synthetic fabrics became the norm, and I think there's real value in revisiting those materials with a contemporary perspective. If Clara Knitwear can encourage people to think differently about what outdoor clothing can be, both in how it performs and how it's made, I'd be really proud of that.

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How do you see the brand evolving over the next few years?

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I hope we continue creating work that genuinely excites us.

There are so many landscapes I still want to experience, fibres I want to experiment with and ideas I want to explore. We'd also love to become more involved with the wider outdoor community through collaborations, pop-ups and creative projects.

Beyond that, I'm quite happy not having everything mapped out. Some of the best opportunities we've had have arrived unexpectedly.

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Are there any upcoming collaborations or collections you’re excited to share?

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We've got a few collaborations in the works that I'm really excited about.

The first is with Hatchet Supply in Brooklyn, launching this Autumn. It's been brilliant working with people who genuinely believe in slow, thoughtful design, and there are a few more projects following later this year that we can't wait to share.

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Lastly, what advice would you give to emerging designers in the outdoor space?

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I'm still very much learning myself, so I wouldn't pretend to have all the answers.

The one thing I'd encourage people to do is follow the work they're genuinely excited about rather than trying to predict what people want to see. Design can feel incredibly saturated, but I think people recognise when something comes from real curiosity and passion.

That's certainly been true for Clara Knitwear. We never set out with a detailed business plan. We simply started making the kind of work we wanted to exist. Everything that's followed has grown from that, and I hope it always does.