Reworking Tradition: Inside Fintan Mulholland’s Knitwear Practice

Knitwear designer Fintan Mulholland

In an age of fast fashion and fleeting trends, Fintan Mulholland’s work offers something slower, more tactile, more thoughtful. The County Monaghan knitwear designer creates sculptural garments and accessories that feel both grounded in heritage and tuned into the future. As he prepares to release his Autumn/Winter '25 collection, we caught up with him to talk about creative intuition, the significance of Irish-made fashion, and the various forms of media that inspire each of his pieces.

Tell us a bit about yourself and your brand. 

I'm Fintan Mulholland, a knitwear designer from County Monaghan. I create a range of sculptural knitwear pieces including garments and accessories, made in small batches using natural materials. Most of the work is handcrafted in my studio with an emphasis on sustainability, precision, and form.

How did you discover knitting? 

I’ve always been drawn to making and creating from a young age, but it wasn’t until I began my undergraduate studies in Fashion and Textiles that I was introduced to knit. It immediately felt like the right medium, both technical and intuitive, allowing me to build form in a way that felt completely natural.

From Fintan’s collection “Epoch II”

What is your creative process? 

The process is very hands-on, often intuitive and iterative. I work directly on the body or mannequin, knitting, unraveling, reworking. It’s slow and exploratory. I use the rhythm of the machine and the resistance of yarn as tools for shaping and refining the garment. The structure comes out of that interaction with the material.

What inspires your work? 

Inspiration is an accumulation of things. Music, architecture, the rhythm of knitting itself. I’m drawn to structure, particularly in architecture and sculpture. Films like Blade Runner, 2001: A Space Odyssey, and Planet of the Apes have shaped my visual language, alongside the sounds of Aphex Twin, Actress, and Fhloston Paradigm. That mix of the mechanical and emotional, futuristic yet human, stays with me when I’m creating in the studio.

The body plays a big role too, not just in how clothes sit, but how they move and feel. I want each piece to have presence and personality, to find a dynamic between geometric lines and softness engineered but still wearable, sculptural yet grounded.

From Fintan’s collection “Degradation”

What does made in Ireland mean to you? 

There’s a strong legacy of heritage and craft in Ireland that continues to shape so much of what we make. At the same time, there’s a diverse community of designers and makers redefining what Irish fashion can be. For me, “Made in Ireland” means being rooted in place, in pace, and in process, often creating work that is slow, intentional, handmade, and deeply considered. I think it’s vital that Irish design gains a stronger international voice, and that begins with platforms that support local design and give it the visibility it deserves.

Are you working on a new collection everyone should know about?

Yes, I’m currently finalising my Autumn/Winter ’25 collection. It continues the sculptural language of my previous work but introduces new yarn blends and colours - a carefully developed offering in a limited palette of Teal, Burnt Orange, Green and Black. It will be available via my website, Fintanmulholland.com and select stockists from late August. 

Watch Fintan’s full interview here on our Instagram

View more of Fintan’s work here on his website .