It’s finally feeling like fall where I am on the East Coast! The leaves are falling from the trees. It’s colder, which equals layers. Suddenly, figuring out a cute outfit in my brain becomes a creative experiment: I pull out different pieces — oversized jeans, belts, sweaters — and combine them and see what works. Recently, I rediscovered a fabulous little fall outfit formula: a cropped tank top styled over a turtleneck.

I went on a real trust-the-process journey to get to this outfit (which I now want to re-wear all the time). I’ll break it down so you can see what I mean.

Cashmere turtleneck: Intimissimi has great basics, don’t sleep on it. This turtleneck is $59, which is good for cashmere. Now, I usually reach for bodysuits and style them with jeans, which works, but opting for a lightweight turtleneck is a good changeup on top.

Pleated wide-leg jeans: I’m a big fan of loose denim. These jeans are from The Frankie Shop, and I love the bagginess. I got my normal size, and they’re definitely oversized.
Simple black belt: I love a belt. This one is Isabel Marant. I love it, but it’s old and I can’t find a comparable link. Any black belt with silver hardware would work.
Heather gray tank: I love this gray tank (also from The Frankie Shop). I took some scissors and cropped it myself (DIY!). I wouldn’t wear it alone in this weather, but once I had the turtleneck, jeans, and belt on, I thought, why not try it over top? I was expecting it to absolutely not work — which is often brainspace when trying a weird outfit combo — but I was pleasantly surprised with the outcome. Cute!
Accessories: Last time I wore this, I threw on some earrings, black boots, a beanie…also a blazer and a coat. I told you, I love layers.

Then I started thinking about how to add some color to a fall outfit…and my brain immediately went to my favorite sweater label, Hope Macaulay. Hope is a knitwear designer from Northern Ireland whom I originally discovered on Instagram (follow her account, it’s so cute!). Not only are her pieces adorable and full of color — for context, I have a red sweater with pink bows, a pink knit crossbody bag, and a pink mushroom hat — they’re all handmade by Hope and a small team of local knitters (how sweet is that?). Hope recently made Europe’s 30 under 30(!), and I’m so inspired by how she built this brand on her own. I knew she’d be a great person to profile for our fall fashion issue. You’ll love her stuff and oh my gosh, I wish you guys could hear her — she has the best accent!

(The following interview has been edited for length and clarity.)

Hailee: Hi Hope! I'm curious about everything, but let’s start at the beginning. Tell me about where, when, and how you started Hope Macaulay!

Hope Macaulay: In 2018, I went to university in England and got my degree in fashion print. Knitting was never the main focus, I just did it on the side. But in my final year of university, I showed a graduate collection, and one of the pieces I designed was this crazy massive colorful knit coat — it was a wee bit wild, but people liked it. Then I started sharing some of my other knits on social media and developing it. I started the brand properly in 2020 and here we are.

H: But you were knitting before university?

HM: Only a little bit, knitting scarves and stuff. It was very basic. Even to this day, I wouldn't say I'm an expert knitter or anything. My granny taught me knitting when I was like 6. She was a teacher and she learned how to knit at school, so she always thought that knitting was this thing that people had to learn how to do.

H: Tell me about your design process.

HM: So I knit with my hands, not with needles, which is a really a free way to create. I compare it to surrealism, like not knowing what the outcome will be until you’re near the end. In the beginning, I knit everything myself. But now I have a team of knitters 20 knitters, all here in Northern Ireland.

We produce in small quantities and I'm passionate about all my designs being handmade here and supporting our community. My family is involved too. My mum drives around dropping off and picking up from the knitters. My sister works as our operations manager. My boyfriend works for me too. My granny is 92 and she'll come into the studio and help sew labels. As much as the knitwear pieces are colorful and creative, the way they're knit is really wholesome.

H: That’s so special! Did you always know you wanted to live and work in a small town in Northern Ireland as opposed to a big city?

HM: Originally, I thought I wanted to work for another designer, maybe in London. Then I did a few internships over there a few years ago, and I was like, woah, no. I don't want to be in the city, I want to be at home. I love where I live, it's so nice and peaceful. The lifestyle is slow and it's a beautiful place.

H: One of the main things that drew me to your designs was the color. I love color, but for some reason with dressing I always shy away from it. It feels easier to go for monochromatic. However, when I discovered your designs, I was so excited to expand my wardrobe into more color. I'd love to know how you think about styling these pieces.

HM: I like styling them quite simply but with a few cute accessories. You can't go wrong with a pair of jeans, or any denim. We do fun things, like sometimes we'll use a string of yarn and tie it though a belt loop for a little bit of interest. I love trying bows in our model's hair. But I think usually simple [styling] is best because the pieces are such a statement.

H: I'd love to know about your first piece and your favorite piece.

HM: My first piece was that huge knit coat that was in my graduate collection from university. It had ceramic faces scattered on the back. It was so weird and crazy, like an art piece. I had to tone it down and make it more commercial so people could actually wear it haha. Then my favorite pieces are the bow sweaters. They're so cute!

H: Where do you recommend people start if they’re new to your brand?

HM: Our crossbody bags. That's a popular piece that most people buy to try us out. It's such a cute little addition to a simple outfit.

H: What’s next for Hope Macaulay, personally and professionally?

HM: I always get so nervous when I think about this. I would love to be in more stores so that people can see and feel the knitwear in person. We just had a pop-up in L.A., and we'd never done that before, so that was crazy. There's also going to be a 30-minute documentary coming out about the brand on the BBC. I think it's coming out next year in the springtime. It'll be under the series ‘True North’ (like Northern Ireland) and I think they're going to call it 'Hope And The Knitters'.

H: I can't wait to see it! Now I have some fun rapid-fire questions for you…

Tea or coffee?: Neither, I don't drink either. I just like water.

Favorite yarn color?: Baby pink, always. It's my favorite color.

Morning person or night owl?: Morning person.

Knitting with music or in silence?: With music, yeah.

If you could knit a sweater for anyone, who would it be?: I love Justin Bieber. Him in a really cool knitwear piece…

Where is the weirdest place you've knit?: On the floor. It's not that weird.

Biggest knitting mishap?: I think it's fun when you're knitting and it looks wrong and then it looks good in the end.

Describe your style in three words: Cozy, colorful, comfortable.

Do you have a guilty pleasure TV show?: Love is Blind. There's a new one coming out next week and I'm so excited.

One thing people would be surprised to know about you?: That I knit with my hands, a lot of people don't know that. Also, whenever I share photos of my house, people are surprised that my house is so neutral in color because my designs are so colorful.

Knit fast or slow and steady?: Fast. I'm very fast at knitting.

Favorite fashion trend right now?: The color burgundy. It's so pretty.

Something you can't live without?: Probably my dog Winnie. She's a Shetland Sheepdog. Oh, she's so cute.