Image Credit - Patrick McDowell, Isidore Montag / Gorunway.com
Patrick McDowell revolutionising sustainability.
Lily Pattison
23/04/24
“I wanted to do things in a different way.”
Patrick McDowell is the name in everyone's mouths as he shakes up sustainable business models and stuns runway after runway with his theatrics. Reported in Vogue and Forbes, McDowell's work can even be spotted on red carpets worn by Nicole Scherzinger. His last collection Orpheus’s Ball, held at the Guild Hall, consisted of live orchestral performances and an astounding stage presence from each model adorned with McDowell’s garments.
The designer, a focal point of innovation coming out of London, hops onto a call to discuss where it all began, how performance interacts with his identity, and what his new model for sustainability means for the fashion industry.
He begins with the basics, explaining that he founded the brand in 2018 after graduating from Central Saint Martins and working for Burberry as a womenswear designer, “I wanted to do things in a different way.”
This motivation to pursue change stems from his childhood, “As a kid, the first thing I ever made was a bag made from jeans and that really sparked this way of working. Of being very interested in creating stuff, but from alternative resources and that's continued, although in a much more luxurious way.”
“I think it was the excitement around creating things, that transformation has always been a big part of what's drawn me to it. I grew up in Liverpool and watching the women there, and how they dress, especially on a night out or at a party, was really captivating. So I was always interested in the idea of being part of that. I think it's comfortably glamorous.”
Image Credit - Patrick McDowell, Jimmy Choo’s JCA | London Fashion Academy
The transformation of reworking jeans into a bag is one thing, but reworking a brand into a new business model is a much tougher challenge, he explains, “The new business model is made to order, the idea is that we're creating in a different way to not only design great clothes but also redesign the system they sit within.”
“So each piece is limited before it's produced and then after the piece is sold out, that piece is finished.”
“It was always important for me to start a business that also focused on how we could redesign that model because that was always a bit of an elephant in the room in the fashion industry.”
Fast fashion alone creates ninety-two million tonnes of waste a year and the pressure has been mounting for changes within the industry to be made. He adds to this, “The sustainability conversations that we discuss are around better materials often don’t address the fact that we are always judging success on the volume of sales. Which inevitably will create something which is very unsustainable at its core.”
Innovation is a key theme throughout McDowell’s work, with his last collection Orpheus’s Ball inspired by Greek mythology, he elaborates, “I think the common thread is always reflecting your own stories as a person.”
He adds, “We had two corsets in the last shows that we made from an old tuba and a cello. They were very special because I played those instruments as a kid. It was really amazing to have that connection.”
“It just feels like it comes naturally, so I try and trust the process. I think the real unifying thing is that we try and have this story, some kind of narrative.”
Navigating his own stories, identity and route through the industry he explains how he balances himself and performance in collections, “I think they're very linked, throughout history, people have been wearing things that communicate what they want to say about their performance, or music, or art. So it made sense for me to have elements of the show as performances.”
Image Credit - Patrick McDowell, Orpheus’ Ball.
Reflecting on his years as a student and the transition to his namesake brand he concludes, “Try to keep creating, I think it's really important to keep creating things and trust that because you created them, they will have some kind of unifying quality that you don't need to be too worried about being a perfect kind of brand.”
Doubling down he finalizes, “I think it's actually crucial to keep creating and eventually you find your own way, it takes time.”
Full speed ahead McDowell is halfway through prepping for his next collection, and making headlines whilst he does it. Clearly, a strategic player, McDowell is no novice. The shy persona we met through the interview certainly balances out the grandiose garments that have earned him accolades after accolades whilst he pushes for the changes necessary within the fashion world.