About Return to Carnaby
Return to Carnaby is a natural and timeless fashion brand, crafting clothing made to be loved and passed through generations.
After leaving her corporate career when becoming a mother, our founder Niaobh formed a love for nature, slower living and creativity as she was becoming a new version of herself.
When reflecting on what she would like to spend her (little) free time doing, she wanted to create something in recognition of many seasons of life and transitions women can lose themselves in and find a way to live through. Return to Carnaby is an ode to that resilience and returning to a sense of comfort, magic and happiness in each of those moments.
As a long time lover of textile and accessory craftsmanship, and probably (definitely) too much time shopping on her regular work travels from London, to Paris, to Tokyo, to Dubai and California; in her search for a more peaceful passion to follow, she decided to start designing clothing for herself and her daughter inspired by nature.
She found such a joy in the process of sourcing the softest natural textiles so close to her home of Northern Ireland and the places she had spent over a decade visiting. But knitwear is where it all started. In fact, specifically in two cardigans she lived in; one she lovingly called 'the Jimmy' which is one of her grandfather's that gave her a sense of comfort, and the other an all enveloping cardigan covered in florals that gave her a sense of joy.
As for the brand name, London was often a stopover between busy work travels — and Carnaby Street was always the place she set as a base. Wandering through cosy bookstores, getting lost shopping through cobbled streets, and soaking in the buzzing energy — it became a kind of home away from home. Return to Carnaby is a tribute to that feeling: finding comfort, inspiration, and quiet joy in the places (and pieces) we return to again and again.
How we design and create
Crafted from the softest and most natural materials like cashmere, alpaca, silk and organic cotton, each piece is designed to feel effortless, sustainable, and beautifully made. These are clothes that embody comfort, joy, and quiet luxury — soft staples you’ll reach for again and again.
We are committed to slow fashion, working only with ethical, family-run suppliers who share our values of mindful production and superior quality. Every piece is crafted in small batches using traceable, biodegradable yarns, and produced with care and intention of people and the planet.
Championing community and paying it forward
Return to Carnaby is about more than clothes — it’s about creating a community and giving back to the causes we all care about most. We are tightly aligned to charities close to our hearts, and we embed our social and environmental impact into everything we do.