For many seasons after their groundbreaking graduate collection in 2018, Patrick McDowell shunned the regular churn of production that many new fashion designers succumb to. They didn’t actually make many clothes.
As a sustainable fashion designer, that’s the most radical - and yet pragmatic - way to create. Blockchain linked NFTs fulfilled any need for newness during lockdown and Patrick’s dedication to regenerated textiles and deadstock (fabrics that are already in existence) have powered the collections ever since.
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Now McDowell is a regular at London Fashion Week, has a gig as Sustainability Design Director at contemporary Italian brand Pinko and has spoken on the fashion industry’s need for circularity at the UN. For their own collections, McDowell creates on a made-to-order model which avoids waste from over-production. They are doing things the right way.
And one of the ways McDowell cuts through is their openness to collaborate across the Arts. After designing costumes for a New English Ballet Theatre production at the Royal Opera House Next Generation festival - where McDowell created garments made from ghost fishing nets - it was a natural next step for this season’s show to be presented in collusion with Rambert, the UK’s oldest dance company.
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Taking inspiration from the company’s very first performance - A Tragedy Of Fashion, in 1926 - models catwalked around the dance studio, while the stars of the company told a tale of the dark side of couture in an incredible movement-led presentation.
But what about the actual clothes? One of the first looks featured a fitted blazer with a ballet pump print, teamed with a tutu-wide mini skirt, while an ethereally light pale pink wrap top was perfect for post performance cool-down. Or grabbing coffee. Layers of baby pink tulle swathed the models bodies while corsets came with deconstructed ballet pumps atop the shoulders. An ice-pink bustier dress with black chiffon sash was red-carpet ready. Your balletcore dreams have all come true.
Everything, of course, was created sustainably with some outstanding innovations to note. Old garment bags were transformed into capes (one to DIY?) and TENCEL™ fibres (created in a circular loop) featured heavily. Three looks were made from 170 pairs of deadstock Lee jeans and McDowell’s team spent over 150 hours repurposing the denim into padded puffball skirts, a neat patchwork blazer and a windcheater jacket. The padding inside the more voluminous silhouette came from ECOVATIVE mushroom fibre.
Even the ink used to print the shears and ballet pump motifs was sustainable and some soft fabrics came from materials derived from agricultural waste. Using technology and science to make fashion better? It has to be done. More brands and designers would do well to follow where Patrick McDowell is blazing a trail.
Read more from Glamour UK Fashion Director at large Alex Fullerton here or follow her on Instagram @alexandrafullerton
