Tess Carter

Textile Art & Fashion Design Student | Regenerative Knitwear Advocate Based in Northern Ireland, I’m a multidisciplinary designer currently studying Textile Art and Fashion Design, with a focus on sustainable and regenerative practices. Growing up along the Irish Sea, my work draws deep inspiration from coastal landscapes, local heritage, and island ecologies,including Rathlin Island, where I’ve collaborated on design projects that spotlight native wool and traditional materials. My approach champions low-impact, place-based design, often incorporating hand-knit textiles, natural fibres, and found objects like sea shells to reconnect craft with environment. I believe design is a powerful tool to challenge extractive production systems and instead celebrate the potential of materials we already have from local wool to hand-gathered remnants of the sea. I’m excited to enter the Only Natural competition as an opportunity to further explore how natural materials, storytelling, and innovation can create beauty with purpose.