'Nature is at the heart of everything I do': Fashion designer Aoife McNamara

'Think before you buy. Buy locally and ask questions'

I'm a conscious designer. I design through innovation and through my love for nature and that's really at the forefront of everything I do. It's really why I started my brand. I was born in the countryside in Limerick and I've always just had a strong connection to nature. We were always outside in the fields and in the water. My earliest memories are having picnics with my family outside in the backyard and in the fields next to us and I'm obsessed with sea swimming.

I found out the impact that the fashion industry had on the earth while I was in college. I went to Paris and New York and I really thought that all of these companies would be able to help me figure out how we can make change, but I couldn't really find that internationally so that's why I set up Aoife Ireland. I love sharing what nature does for me in my collections. I feel like as a designer I have a job to do and educating myself and others on our impact is a part of that.