Photography by Bryony Coles, Megan Hill, Ellie Kirkham, Marcin Martynowicz and Shannon Rose.
Sperrin Design: The NI designer you need to have on your radar
From Ogham-print baby tees to Celtic pins, Sperrin Design is taking traditional Irish touchpoints and firing them into the future. Grounded in an appreciation for heritage but unafraid to inject it with a contemporary edge, Tyrone native and Belfast-based designer Karen Hegarty is the NI designer to know.
I’m Karen and I’m from a small village in Tyrone called Glenmornan. Growing up in a rural and agricultural area was really influential on my view of clothing, and this is really where Sperrin Design was born. For years, I looked at clothing as a functional item, to protect the wearer from the elements as they worked, not anything to do with fashion or trends at all. This interpretation inspired my final collection for university as I further explored how the generations before us could only afford to buy a ‘Sunday Best’ outfit and then when it was worn down enough, it was relegated to ‘workwear’. This cycle was born out of necessity but was actually a really sustainable practice and I have built my brand around exploring it.
I believe we have a lot to take from our heritage. We are a country that’s abundantly rich in culture and stories but we also should be looking forward to how we can take these with us to the future and rethink interpretations and new meanings. It’s definitely important to never be stuck in the past, but I myself take a lot of inspiration from my own family and community history and think about how it could translate in a modern setting. Aoife Cawley is an artist and designer who is absolutely on the ball with this. Her scarves are best sellers for a reason. We are going through a serious Celtic revival at the moment and people want to appreciate their heritage, but in a new, reimagined way.
The ethos
I wanted Sperrin Design to explore if clothing could be designed to bridge the gap of workwear and playwear and help to do away with this idea of separate wardrobes for separate occasions and also fight the unsustainable trend of ‘wear once and discard’. I do this through designing clothes that can be changed or altered at the wearer’s will, including the use of detachable pockets, drawstring hems and channels and eyelets to alter length and volume. I believe that if you invest in a piece that is made to fit you, that is slow fashion and made from high-quality fabric, then you should be able to wear the piece both in day-to-day wear or for a special occasion. I try to only use natural fabrics that have been locally sourced or sustainably sourced.
I’ve always said that being a designer never really left the back of my mind and I’ve always been drawn back to it, but I did have to go around the houses first in school before finding the confidence to follow what I wanted to do. Like so many other people my age, it was my Granny who was a talented seamstress and started the spark when I was in primary school.
My first memory of sewing was making clothes with her for my Sylvanian Family of rabbits. Then in A-Level Art I was experimenting with sewing on paper but it was only when I was doing my Foundation Diploma in North West Regional College that everything started to fall into place. I was figuring out which elements of working with textiles I really loved. I enjoy being experimental with my fabric and I’ve used spray paint before to print an entire roll of linen with my own sketches of Irish Mythological creatures.
Whenever I do a new design, I usually only make one. I’ll keep my pattern and then after the first one, every piece is only made to order so that there is zero waste and everything made has a purpose and a home. I have my full range of designs, and I also love making little pieces like the Celtic Pins that are more affordable for everyone. I’m going through a serious farmer’s cap phase at the moment and love reworking them with lace and beads for the girlies. My linen tote bags are also a best-seller and I find they are a great way to use up any scraps of fabric and keep as little wastage as possible.
The brands to know
I’m loving Studio Conway’s hand-printed bandanas and the Ditsy Bits Claddagh jumper. They are definitely next on my wish list. Aside from these, I love getting down to Dublin and into Om Diva for a nosy. They have an entire floor of emerging Irish Designers (including myself, shameless promo) and if I were to ever win the lottery, I would be buying everything in stock. One of Nimiiny’s check sets is my final item on my wish list.
I always love seeing Sukë McKegney and Luke Dunlop on Instagram. I’ve had the absolute pleasure of having both of them model for me and they are utter delights. Their sense of style and aesthetic is so unique and gorgeous. There is a girl on TikTok called @anotheroutfitrepeater and I love seeing her pop up in my algorithm. She is fighting the good fight against fast fashion and inspiring people to restyle pieces to get more wear out of them and teaching people how to be more sustainable when it comes to their clothes.
My best fashion purchase has to be either my Claddagh earrings from Wee Girl or my Run Star Motion Converse. I think every girl in Ireland, particularly the North, must have a pair of those hoops and I think it’s such a lovely sense of community. Every time I’m wearing them and meet another girl who is, even if we don’t know each other, we always point at each other and smile or have a laugh. And I’m on my second pair of these Converse now and they are hanging on for dear life. They have been discontinued and it’s breaking my heart.
Cúpla Designs are doing absolutely amazing at the moment, and I’m also so excited for Caólum McCabe’s debut womenswear collection. I’m so delighted to be taking part in the Graduate show for Ireland Fashion Week as every other designer is insanely talented and I think it’s gonna be one to watch. Definitely one of the best things about being involved has been discovering other Irish designers and seeing the emerging talent on our island. Also, cannot forget Róisín Pierce and Annie Leona, I’m absolutely loving what both of them are doing at the moment.
The logistics
Funding was and still is a concern. I’m entirely self-funded and I work full-time to fund my brand alongside my everyday bills. It’s tough but it’s a great way to keep everything sustainable, as mainly the fabric I buy is either second hand, off-cuts or dead stock to keep it affordable. It forces me to be very smart with my use of the fabric as I can’t afford to waste any of it. I’m also very lucky as my full-time job is working in the design studio of an incredibly talented and established Irish designer and just to be able to watch her work and watch the seamstresses who have years of industry experience under their belts has been utterly transformative for me and I learn so much from them every day.
The best business advice I’ve gotten is to go with your gut; it’s usually right. Also, be persistent and determined, but be kind. This industry is renowned for being ruthless but I’ve found, especially within Ireland, everyone is so happy to work with you and share their knowledge and advice.
My most useful learning since setting up a business has been to just keep going. It’s very hard to keep the consistency, but even just doing a little bit every day is so helpful. And to celebrate the little things. It can be very easy to get dragged down when things don’t go right or as planned but appreciating when it does, even if it’s just a clean and well-done stitch line, keeps the joy in it. Keeping it fun and finding the love in lots of little things done well will keep the enthusiasm (and the quality) up.
The legacy
My proudest moment so far has definitely been getting accepted into the Graduate Show for the very first year of Ireland Fashion Week in October. The outfit I will be showing at it is one of five looks that make up my Spring/Summer 2026 collection and the entire collection will be showing at Cheshire Fashion Week just after. But also just seeing the community that is building around my brand is a pinch-me moment every time I think about it. Seeing people wearing my pieces and being really happy and confident just makes my week!
I want my brand to be remembered for inspiring people to step away from the ordinary and to add key statement pieces to their wardrobe. I want this brand to inspire people to move away from the world of micro trends and to invest in local designers who are putting their heart and soul into their designs.
If I could have anyone wear my designs, it would be Lola Pettigrew, an amazing actor who’s really forward with their activism, which I love. Nicola Coughlan, as well, anyone who is outspoken on their beliefs and is confident in themselves and their style. I’ve had the incredible ladies from BIIRD wearing a few of my pieces over the last year, and seeing them on stage, just genuinely having a blast playing trad but simultaneously speaking on the genocide in Gaza, brings me to tears every time.
Follow @sperrindesign on Instagram.
Photography by Bryony Coles, Megan Hill, Ellie Kirkham, Marcin Martynowicz and Shannon Rose.
Also Read
