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The Woman Weaving Meaning Back Into Fashion: Meet Afternoon Knitwear

A conversation with Lucy Overs, founder of Afternoon Knitwear, on motherhood, craftsmanship, and creating clothing with purpose.

By Erin-Louise


There’s a quiet magic in things made slowly — a thoughtfulness, a care that can’t be rushed. Afternoon Knitwear was born from that magic. Rooted in craftsmanship, connection, and the kind of attention that makes every stitch feel deliberate, the brand is a gentle rebellion against the fast, fleeting world of fashion.


Lucy Overs, its founder, has woven her experience, creativity, and motherhood into every collection, creating knits that aren’t just worn — they are treasured. Sitting down with her, you sense the love behind the work, the pause in a world that rarely slows, and the confidence that real luxury is measured in care, not speed.


Behind The Brand

With Afternoon Knitwear


Afternoon Knitwear was born from a love of knitwear and a desire to create with meaning — can you take us back to the moment you realised you wanted to build something of your own?

Absolutely. I’ve spent over a decade working in fashion, learning how the industry operates. But I’ve always been a knitter and a creative. After having children, I found it really hard to return to the 9-5 and have the flexibility I needed for my family and realised I wanted to build something of my own with the little time I had.


While hand-knitting my daughter a cardigan, my father-in-law told me about his mum making jumpers on a home knitting machine. I’d never even heard of those before, and it absolutely blew my mind! I found one second-hand on Facebook and spent months mastering it and learning how to make my own designs. The response from my first few sales was amazing. Once I couldn't keep up with orders, I started contacting studios in the UK to try and get my designs made on a larger scale and was able to design things my home machine couldn't manage as well. 


Your pieces feel so intentional — slow, timeless, and beautifully made. What does “slow fashion” mean to you on a personal level?

 

On a personal level, slow fashion has also been about rediscovering my own style, learning to see through the fog of trends and choosing pieces I know I’ll love for years. I've worked in fast fashion brands and have seen firsthand how much waste and carelessness there is. It taught me exactly what I didn’t want to be part of, including constantly chasing micro-trends that disappear in weeks.


When I design my pieces, I’m trying to do the opposite. Everything is designed and made with real intention, which to me means no shortcuts, no rushing, I'm not going to cut corners for the sake of profit. If something takes longer or costs more to get right, then that’s part of the process. I put so much care into my brand, so I want each knit to feel special and be worn for years.


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You describe Afternoon Knitwear as rooted in craftsmanship, care, and connection. How do those values show up in your everyday process?

Those values really do guide every decision I make. I made the choice to produce everything here in the UK, working with a small studio that specialises in limited runs. They’re not a factory; they're true craftspeople, and we speak pretty much every week to fine-tune details and make sure each piece meets the standard we both believe in. It’s a real partnership.


Sourcing yarn responsibly is just as important. Our knits are 100% plastic-free, right down to the buttons; there's no synthetics, no microplastics. I really want that level of care to run right through from the people who make our pieces to the impact those pieces have once they’re out in the world. 


Working exclusively with natural fibres like lambswool, mohair, and alpaca — what draws you to these materials, and how do they shape the feel of your collections?

From the start, I knew I wanted to work exclusively with natural fibres. It's always so disappointing when you're shopping and find a gorgeous knit only to see "polyamide" on the label. I literally spent months sourcing the right yarns, not just in colour and origin, but in how they feel. That hand-feel is everything to me; it's what makes them so luxurious to wear.


Alpaca is unbelievably buttery soft and so warm. Those are the ones I reach for on a cold day and never want to take off. But mohair, on the other hand, has a totally different look; it's this beautiful halo of fuzz that gives such character to the pieces. When I discovered the 70% mohair and 30% wool blend, it was the perfect balance between the strength of wool and the silkiness and fuzziness of the mohair. There are so many more natural blends I found that I couldn't do this time around that I'm excited about working with in the future, too! 


Every collection is small and considered. How do you approach designing pieces that people will truly treasure for years, not just a season?

It’s such an important question, because the last thing I want is to create pieces that end up forgotten in a year. Longevity is something I think about constantly when designing. It can be really tempting to lean into trending colour ways or shapes that might be more popular right now, but that’s not the kind of brand I want Afternoon to be. I’d rather design something you’ll still be reaching for in five years, even if it's not going to go viral.


Working with natural fibres and small-scale UK production means my pieces come with a higher price point, and that brings responsibility. I really try to focus on timeless elements with a bit of personality, like stripes, soft tonal palettes, and those classic knitwear details like textured knit-purl motifs and laced pointelle. For me, slow fashion really means creating pieces that stand the test of time. 


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Sustainability can mean so many things these days — what does it really look like behind the scenes for you?

There's honestly so much greenwashing out there, I know it's hard for people to decipher what's real. When I decided to make this brand, I couldn't knowingly bring more waste and negative impact into the world. Sustainability is thought about in every decision I make, from how many pieces we produce to who we work with.


It's keeping production small, using 100% natural fibres everywhere I feasibly can, offsetting the carbon from shipping, and working only with partners who share those same values (like my upcoming collaboration with the slow fashion brand Coco Maisonette). But it’s also about questioning whether something needs to exist, and making sure that if it does, it’s built to last. If one purchase from my brand could replace one from a much bigger brand that produces tons of plastic and waste, then I feel I've had a positive impact. 


As someone who’s experienced both the fast-paced fashion industry and now a slower, more intentional approach, what’s been the biggest shift in mindset?

In bigger companies, I didn’t always agree with the decisions being made, and at times, I felt almost as replaceable as the clothes they were making.


I've also worked at founder-led smaller brands that give a percentage of their sales to good causes, and it's just such a nicer place to work; you see the passion, respect, and pride that go into every piece. That's the kind of brand I want Afternoon to be as we grow, a slower, more human way of creating, where everyone involved really cares about what they’re making. 


AFTERNOON KNITWEAR


Afternoon Knitwear feels like a response to burnout culture — a reminder that beautiful things can take time. What does “slow” mean to you beyond fashion? 

A big part of starting Afternoon came from feeling pushed out of the traditional 9–5 structure. Even with remote work, there’s still this expectation to always be “on,” and that just doesn’t fit when you’ve got a young family. I’ve lost more freelance work than I can count because I chose to be with my kids in the afternoons (literally where the brand's name came from), and I don’t regret it for a second.


Moving from London to the Cotswolds really helped me understand that my priorities are right. Life here moves at a slower pace; the local café literally closes during half term so the owner can be with her family. I love that, you wouldn't find that in a city. It's important to remember what actually matters, rather than running on someone else’s timeline. 


Afternoon Knitwear has such a distinct, feminine quietness to it. Where do you draw inspiration for that softness and strength?

Motherhood, without question. Any parent will know how much it alters your brain chemistry. I like to think that it naturally finds its way into my designs; it's definitely given me the motivation to put my all into building this brand. I'm so much more resilient, empathetic, and determined than I have ever been. The softness of the calm, feminine palette, but with structure and purpose behind sums up my feelings on motherhood in a nutshell. 




What’s your favourite part of the process — from the first sketch to seeing someone wearing one of your pieces?

Getting the first samples back, without a doubt. It’s the moment everything becomes real, seeing an idea come to life from tiny yarn swatches and pencil sketches never gets old. You can plan and picture it for months, but you can never truly know how it's going to come out.


Wearing my own designs out and having someone compliment it is the best feeling, it’s that full-circle moment where all the hard work, stress and investment pay off. I’m so proud of what I’ve created, and that feeling never really fades. 


You talk about making “clothing with purpose.” What does that mean to you when you sit down to design something new?

I don’t want to make something just because it's trendy; it has to feel special and genuinely useful in someone’s wardrobe. Every piece starts with questioning what I need from a knit, what's practical and useful? I found myself throwing on jeans and a tee every morning because I never have time to put something together, so I wanted knits that I could layer on top of that to make an outfit more unique and interesting. That was the jumping-off point for my first designs.


I’m drawn to classic shapes, but I always like to add a little twist, a detail, a texture, something that gives it personality. That balance between timeless and unique is where I always try and stay with my designs. 


What advice would you give to someone who wants to shop more consciously, or those dreaming of starting their own slow-fashion label?

Start small and stay curious. Whether you’re shopping or starting your own brand, it’s about slowing down and asking 'will I still love it in five years?' Slow fashion isn’t about being perfect; it’s about being intentional.


For anyone dreaming of starting their own label, I’d say don’t wait until everything feels ready; done is better than perfect. Learn as you go, stay close to your values, and focus on creating something that truly means something to you. When you lead with purpose, people feel it. 


Finally, what’s next for Afternoon Knitwear? Anything exciting on the horizon that you can share with us?

Yes! I’m really excited about my upcoming collaboration with Coco Maisonette; it’s been such a dream project. We’re both small, slow fashion brands, both mothers of two toddlers, she's based in California, and I'm in the Cotswolds, so we are so similar, but so different. We have created a limited edition alpaca yarn jumper called The Lucky Knit Sweater, from her initial idea, and with my experience in knitwear production. Our tastes aligned exactly. I loved working with her so much. It feels really fresh but still true to what both of us do best, timeless pieces with personality.


Afternoon Knitwear is more than a label — it’s a philosophy. Every piece carries the warmth of hands that have tended it, the intention of someone who values longevity over trend, and the quiet joy of knowing beauty doesn’t need to shout to be felt. Lucy’s vision reminds us that slowing down isn’t a compromise, but a form of care — for our wardrobes, for the people who make them, and for ourselves.


In a world that moves too fast, Afternoon is a breath, a pause, a knit that asks you to take a little more time, to notice the details, and to wear something that feels like home.



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