Textiles has been identified as a priority product group by the European Commission in their legislative initiative to establish sustainability principles (European Commission, 2020). Of particular interest is the value chain, from initial design to producing a prototype and sourcing raw materials, through to the production system, the manufacturing context, brand development and ultimately, the lifecycle of the product. The fashion industry in its current state is a substantial threat to the environment for reasons that are well documented in both the academic and the popular press. It is at odds with our regional, national, European and global goals for a sustainable, carbon-neutral economy. Manufacturing in the Irish design and craft sector has declined rapidly in recent decades, primarily due to a mix of high labour costs, loss of competitiveness and increasing availability of mass-produced imports from low-cost regions as a result of globalisation. The reality of Ireland’s reliance on overseas manufacturing became clear during the recent global health crisis and the rush to source PPE, while the fragility of global supply chains was illustrated during the recent stranding of ‘Evergiven’ in the Suez Canal. Furthermore, consumers, becoming increasingly consciousness of the environmental impact of their fashion choices, are demanding sustainably produced, local products (Bangsa & Schlegelmilch, 2020; Clarke-Sather & Cobb, 2019). This confluence of factors increases the economic and political case for partial onshoring of a select amount of garment manufacturing to satiate market-driven demand and from a strategic perspective, as a means of bolstering the country’s resilience to asymmetric global shocks.