Sydney O'Shaughnessy
Isabel Vique
Lucila Castaño
Jean Long
Alanis Thorney
Following a brilliant response to our open call, we are incredibly proud to reveal the five exceptional creators selected for our Knitters in Residence: Vega cohort. We couldn’t have asked for a stronger, more diverse group to help us bring this cohort’s mission to life.
From April to June, these five residents will be working closely with Vega World Heritage. They will be translating stories from traditional bird tenders, local coastal life, and the urgent realities of seabird decline into unique knitwear designs.
Meet the Residents:
Jean Long (Ireland): A hand knitter working across design, teaching, and textile heritage. Jean’s work includes deeply historic projects, such as the revival of a 1920 fisherman’s gansey.
Lucila Castaño (Argentina/Canada): A textile designer and researcher who explores the beautiful intersections of knitting, materiality, and living systems.
Alanis Thorney (UK): A sustainable fashion graduate whose practice is deeply rooted in natural fibers, rich storytelling, and speculative textile concepts.
Isabel Vique (Spain/UK): A conservation biologist with over 20 years of experience across global organizations, seamlessly blending her scientific background with her knitting practice.
Sydney O’Shaughnessy (USA): A communications director and community builder dedicated to connecting storytelling, craft, and environmental engagement.
“By bringing together voices from textile heritage, sustainable design, biology, and community advocacy, this cohort bridges the gap between science and craft in a truly powerful way.”
Want to follow their journey in real-time? Most of our day-to-day updates, behind-the-scenes progress, and community news happen over on Instagram. Over the coming weeks, we will be sharing deep-dive designer portraits right there on our feed, so you can learn more about each resident’s process, inspirations, and individual concepts as they develop.
Cover Image: Isabel gifting Sir David Attenborough a hand-knitted crocodile for his 90th birthday.