Hope Macaulay

Hope Macaulay's giant, kaleidoscopic knitwear is a craft-led, handmade-to-order statement piece rather than an everyday basic, and that is the heart of its appeal. British Vogue spotlighted the label in May 2020 as "an independent craft-led label you need to know about now," which captures why people seek it out — the colour, the scale and the handmade character. If you want a one-of-a-kind, fantasy-leaning knit, it is worth it; if you want a hardwearing daily jumper, set your expectations around its delicate, handcrafted nature.

Hope Macaulay is a Northern Ireland fashion and textiles designer, creative director and founder of her namesake contemporary luxury fashion brand. She was born in Magherafelt in 1996 and grew up in Portstewart, on the North Coast of Northern Ireland, where her studio is based. Her father is the writer Tony Macaulay.

Hope Macaulay launched her namesake brand in 2018, the same year she graduated from the UK-based University for the Creative Arts in Fashion Textiles: Print. That year she also showed her graduate collection at both London's Graduate Fashion Week and London Fashion Week — a fast start that quickly put her on the radar.

She is most known for her "kaleidoscopic knitwear and fantasy prints" — bold, colourful, oversized knits with a dreamlike quality. The pieces are handmade-to-order, which is central to the brand's craft-led identity and why each garment feels singular rather than mass-produced.

Yes — handmade-to-order is the foundation of the brand, and that craft focus is exactly what drew early attention from the fashion press. Because each garment is made to order by hand rather than mass-produced, expect the natural variation and slower pace that come with genuinely handcrafted knitwear. It is part of why the label is described as craft-led.

Yes. Her handmade-to-order garments have been worn by Irish actress Bronagh Waugh and by Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Halsey, and have featured in British Vogue's "Best Street Style at London Fashion Week." The brand was also spotlighted by Elle and Vanity Fair Italia in 2020.

Treat it like the delicate, handcrafted piece it is. Chunky hand-knitted wool benefits from gentle, occasional wear rather than daily hard use, and from careful storage between outings. When in doubt, follow the garment's own care guidance closely — these are statement knits made to be looked after, not thrown in with the regular wash.

Very early. She was listed in the Irish Times as one of its "Top 50 People to Watch in 2019" and was spotlighted by Elle magazine and Vanity Fair Italia in 2020. British Vogue's May 2020 feature naming her label one "you need to know about now" capped off a remarkably quick rise for a designer who had only launched in 2018.

Let it be the centre of attention. The brand's signature is bold, kaleidoscopic, oversized knitwear, so the easiest approach is to keep everything around it simple and let the colour and scale do the talking. These are fantasy-leaning statement pieces — they are designed to be the look rather than a quiet layer.