ABOUT/ABUT

Owen Edward Snaith is a multidisciplinary designer working across fashion and textile design as well as cultural textile research. Snaith's practice is an ever evolving exploration of identity and heritage with a strong focus on his experiences growing up queer in a small fishing community on the East Coast of Scotland. A poetic thread weaves throughout the work, which is grounded in craftsmanship, collaboration, and community. 

At the core of Snaith's work is a love for Scotland and the ancient skills that are so intrinsic to Scottishness. His output sees a strong emphasis on experimental surface design through print, appliqué and traditional textile techniques.These textile disciplines combined with provocative explorations of cut and rich intimate research creates visually stimulating outcomes that blur the lines between tales and histories, forging an alternative narrative to Scottish freedom. This form of exploration has notably led to the birth of Snaith’s tartan, Incentive, dedicated to the fisherfolk & queer youth of the Scottish east coast - with a full ensemble featured as part of Tartan at V&A Dundee (2023).

Snaith is working on the ongoing project Interweaving Threads (2026), a deep exploration of the relationship between Scottish and Norwegian heritage textiles and traditional folk dress. Partners on the project include: Cove Park, National Museums of Scotland, V&A Dundee, Arts and Culture Norway, Norwegian Institute of Bunad and Folk Costume, MUHO and An Talla Solais.

Owen Edward Snaith has featured in a number of publications such as: Bricks, The Independent, 10 Magazine, The Greatest, The Guardian, Elle Italia, WWD, The New York Times, ShowStudio, The Scotsman, Vogue Scandinavia and British Vogue. 

Recent solo and group exhibitions include: Eye In The Cave, The Handbag Factory, London (2024); Tartan: Exploding The Grid, V&A Dundee, Dundee (2024); Tartan, V&A Dundee, Dundee (2023-24); Long Walk Home, Robbie Lawrence, Webber Gallery, London (2024); Incentive, John Gray Centre, Haddington (2021); LFW Westminster Graduate Show, Ambika 3, London (2021)