Patrick McDowell in his studio at the Jimmy Choo Academy. Photograph by Aaron Bird
As the world’s fashion capitals gear up for fashion week, we’re celebrating designers who are paving the way for a more sustainable and ethical industry. Here, Patrick McDowell meets with Ella Johnson at his new studio in the Jimmy Choo Academy to discuss how sustainable fashion and social impact go hand in hand
Liverpool-born, London-based designer Patrick McDowell captured the world?s attention in 2018 with his graduate collection made from old Swarovski crystals and Burberry fabric donated by Christopher Bailey. Proving that sustainable fashion need not be synonymous with mundanity, McDowell was soon after nominated by Anna Wintour for the Stella McCartney Today for Tomorrow Award, and he subsequently went on to host London Fashion Week?s first ever Swap Shop. Today, the 23-year-old has just been named the Jimmy Choo Academy?s inaugural Designer in Residence, where he will continue to make one collection a year under his eponymous label while carrying out sustainability advisory to other brands. But far from becoming a global brand overnight, McDowell is preoccupied with elevating other underprivileged creatives through scholarship programmes within the industry. Here, he explains why there is no time to waste.
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