Patrick McDowell on running a fashion business in 2024
London-based brand Patrick McDowell has flourished thanks to strategic partnerships and an impeccable understanding of its clientele.
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Published October 30, 2024
Forget the Met Gala or Paris Fashion Week – fashion designers know that they have truly made it when they’ve reached the Sex and the City (SATC) costume department. And Carrie Bradshaw has just been spotted wearing British label Patrick McDowell to shoot the latest sequel, And Just Like That.
Establishing their namesake brand in 2018, the Liverpool-born, Central Saint Martins-educated designer has attained the level of business consistency that many graduates can only dream of. Success was achieved through a robust collaboration and partnership strategy, bespoke fashion design offering, and understanding their clientele.
For Spring 2025, Patrick McDowell presented a collection that took inspiration from Queer British artist Glyn Philpot and featured recycled silver jewelry by English brand Anuka at both London and Milan fashion weeks.
McDowell is also Italian label Pinko’s Sustainability Creative Director, and an advocate for LGBTQ+ culture and sustainable design.
Going against the grain, McDowell’s unique statement collections brim with joyous silhouettes and overt glamor, fit for stars from British reality favorite Gemma Collins to popstar MNEK and Bridgerton’s Golda Rosheuvel.
Jing Daily: What has your career taught you?
Patrick McDowell: The main one is trusting your own kind of creative vision and being more confident with putting your idea forward.
Especially as the brand grows, lots of people have opinions over what the brand should or shouldn’t be doing. So, it’s actually quite empowering to then make the decision to go, “now I’m going to do what I believe in.” Then there is the importance of building a great team.
Then finally, figuring out how to turn sustainable and circular business practices into an actual business.
JD: What’s new in sustainable design?
PM: There’s a lot of new bioengineering that’s been being trialed over the past few years and is now coming to market. We use leather made from mushrooms or biology-based dyes, which remove petrochemicals in the dying process.
It’s a new age of sustainable innovation now. We had recycling before and different versions of plastics, but now we’re using nature to create new materials. That’s really interesting.
JD: Do you design with a specific consumer in mind?
PM: I mean, the idea is to create these special pieces that mean something to people and can be kind of kept for a long time. It is always somebody that’s a luxury client who wants something special that’s tailored for them.
Clients get to the point where they’ve already bought all the signature brand items, so they’re looking for an experience, something more interesting. And that’s what I think we do really well, is that it’s not just buying clothes with us, it’s actually the whole experience of coming and choosing and having sleeves added to the jacket, or the short, you know, something shortened or lengthened and and having that whole experience of knowing that the piece you’ve got is special to you.
JD: Do you have many clients from China or Asia?
PM: So far we do, but they are living in London. We tend to find that the shapes and colors are popular with Asian clients. Expanding in China and Asia is definitely something that we are very interested in pursuing at the moment.
JD: What does London Fashion Week mean to you?
PM: London is where I found myself. It’s an amazing creative melting pot of ideas and people. That’s really special. I’ve got a bigger following in Italy so it was great to do Milan, and it is more centered around craft and glamor there which resonates well with the brand. Whereas London is more grunge. We don’t have that grungy edge that does well in London.
JD: What’s been the highlight of your career?
PM: The highlight is always being able to showcase your creative vision.
JD: What would your dream collaboration be?
PM: Versace. I’ve always loved how they are always unashamedly themselves. They’re just really proud of who they are, and they do that really well. I also started at Burberry. My first collection was made out of Burberry material. So, Burberry is also a special place.
JD: What are your plans for 2025?
PM: Just continuing to explore the growth of the business and finding the right kind of investors and partners to make that happen.