Aoife McNamara: ‘For Me, Sustainability Isn’t a Restriction, It’s a Creative Framework’

Pic: Brian McEvoy

2025’s eir VIP Power of Women Awards may have come and gone, but we’re still celebrating Ireland’s top female led businesses!

First, we’re catching up with last year’s Fashion Retail winner Aoife McNamara, to chat all things sustainability, creativity, and connection.

Hi Aoife, congratulations on winning the Fashion Retail category at the eir VIP Publishing Power of Women Awards 2025. Can you tell us a little bit about the inspiration for your brand?

Thank you, it was such an honour. The brand was born from a deep love of nature, movement, and storytelling. I grew up in the countryside feeling most myself outdoors, whether hiking, sea swimming, or just being immersed in wild places – we would go to Co Clare every summer and it was my favourite place. It was only when I got my dream job in the New York fashion industry that I became really aware of how disconnected fashion had become from the natural world.

I promised myself if I was to set up a brand It would be something different, it would be a brand that felt grounded, purposeful, and emotionally meaningful. Aoife Mc Namara is about reconnecting people with nature, with themselves, and with the story behind what they wear.

Sustainability is very important to you. How do you balance creativity with the responsibility of designing in an environmentally conscious way?

For me, sustainability isn’t a restriction, it’s a creative framework. It forces you to think more deeply, to innovate, and to design with intention. We start every collection by asking: Why does this piece need to exist? How will it live in someone’s life?

Working with natural Irish textiles and recycled fabrics, ethical suppliers, and low-impact processes has shaped our aesthetic. It’s about designing timeless pieces that people form a relationship with, rather than trends that are worn once and forgotten. When creativity and responsibility are aligned, the work becomes more meaningful.

Digital connection is vital for modern brands, from e-commerce to social storytelling. How has technology helped you reach new audiences?

Technology has allowed us to tell our story in a very human way, even on a global scale. Through social media, our website, and digital content, we can bring people into our world, whether that’s behind the scenes of a shoot in nature, a design process, or an expedition.

It’s helped us build a community rather than just a customer base. People don’t just buy a garment; they connect with the values and the journey behind it. That sense of shared purpose is incredibly powerful.

As your brand grows, what role does having dependable infrastructure and reliable connectivity play in helping the business stay agile and future-focused?

Strong infrastructure and connectivity are the backbone of a modern brand. From managing global orders to collaborating internationally and hosting events, everything relies on being connected.

As a new eir business fibre broadband customer, that connection has allowed us to stay flexible, respond quickly, and work from anywhere, whether that’s Dublin, Copenhagen, or in the middle of nature. It gives me the freedom to think globally while staying rooted in our values.

And just as important as the technology has been the hands‑on support from the eir business team. Their responsiveness and partnership-driven approach have made the transition seamless, giving us confidence that as we grow, we’re backed by reliable infrastructure and a team that genuinely understands our needs.

Pic: Brian McEvoy

What’s one thing you wish you knew when you were starting out? Or a piece of advice you’d give to someone at the beginning of their entrepreneurial journey?

I wish I had known that uncertainty is part of the process, and that not having everything figured out doesn’t mean you’re failing. You grow into your role over time.

My advice would be: trust your intuition, be patient with yourself, and don’t compare your journey to anyone else’s. Build something that genuinely reflects who you are, because authenticity is what sustains you when things get challenging.

You’ve had an incredible year, with Ireland and Copenhagen Fashion Week as well as the AMN world launch. What’s next for Aoife Mc Namara? The woman and the brand.

This year has been incredibly special, and I’m so grateful for the support and community around the brand. Moving forward, I’m excited to deepen what we’re doing, not just growing in scale, but growing in meaning.

For the brand, that means expanding our international presence, Focusing on our beautiful textiles here in Ireland – Irish wool has been an ongoing R & D project for the past 6 years and we are finally brining our own Irish Wool to life this year. Another area is developing immersive experiences in our store in Adare Village and pop ups so we are creating physical spaces that bring together fashion, nature, learning, and wellbeing.

For me personally, it’s about staying grounded, protecting my creativity, and continuing to live in alignment with what the brand stands for. I want Aoife Mc Namara to be more than a label, I want it to be a movement that inspires people to live more consciously and connected to the world around them.

You can find out more about Aoife Mc Namara here.