REIMAGINE-Katharine Hamnett and Patrick McDowell
Katharine Hamnett and Patrick McDowell photographed by Lorenzo Berni
MAY 14, 2021 – Sustainable fashion designers Katharine Hamnett and Patrick McDowell launch Reimagine collection in support of British businesses and fight back against the negative impact of Brexit.
“The only way we are going to get out of this shit, is together. HELP. Work together.”
Katharine Hamnett
Throughout this collection, Patrick continues to implement sustainable design practices by re-imagining each jacket in London. Working closely with London based studio’s , to create a new cropped silhouette and adding the collection’s signature “HELP ” print with water based screen printers, mesh and blade. Katharine’s iconic Slogan t-shirt’s, are made using GOTS Certified cotton printed in the UK, staying true to the pairs vision of a fairer fashion industry for all.
Brexit is having a huge impact on British sustainable designers and the industry as a whole. Experiencing new import charges, delays on deliveries and extra paper work, Together Hamnett and McDowell are fighting back.
‘Working on Reimagine Katharine Hamnett x Patrick McDowell has been a dream come true. Katharine is the original proof that sustainability can be sexy and conscious. Brexit has negatively impacted and directly effected the British fashion industry and together we are taking a stand. I think that while “HELP” is humorous – it captures the mood and feeling of now so well. Brexit always was a bad decision and the lack of conviction and organization from this conservative government, is hurting sustainable fashion designers in the UK. -Patrick McDowell
A graduate of Central Saint Martins, Katharine Hamnett launched her brand in 1979 with a range of eclectic women’s designs; menswear followed in 1981. That year, also saw her release the first of her many slogan tees. Sustainability and ethical production became of prime importance, further shaking up what was expected of a global brand. Katharine Hamnett London re-launched in 2017 with reissues of many classic archive unisex pieces that are as relevant today as they always were.
Patrick McDowell is based in London and started his career studying fashion design at Central Saint Martins. While learning his craft, Patrick interned at Burberry, working under Christopher Bailey before going on to launch his own brand in 2018. In 2019 Patrick was nominated by Anna Wintour for the Stella McCartney “Today for Tomorrow” Award. In 2020 Patrick became a Graduate Fashion Week Global Ambassador while also receiving a British Fashion Award nomination. At the beginning of 2021, he was appointed Sustainability Design Director of the Italian women’s wear brand Pinko and continues to work across the fashion industry developing Reimagine collections.
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Patrick Michael Hughes is a fashion and decorative arts historian. He writes about fashion culture past and present making connections to New York, London and Copenhagen's fashion weeks with an eye toward men's fashion. He joined IRK Magazine as a fashion men's editor during winter of 2017.
He is often cited as a historical source for numerous pieces appearing in the Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, CNN, LVMH, Conde Nast, Highsnobiety and others. His fashion career includes years as a fashion reporter/producer of branded content for the New York local news in the hyper digital sector. Patrick's love of travel and terrain enabled him to becoming an experienced cross-country equestrian intensively riding in a number of locations in South America Scandinavia,The United Kingdom and Germany. However, he is not currently riding, but rather speaking internationally to designers, product development teams, marketing teams and ascending designers in the US, Europe and China.
Following his BA in the History of Art from Manhattanville College in Purchase, New York he later completed graduate studios in exhibition design in New York. it was with the nudge and a conversation in regard to a design assignment interviewing Richard Martin curator of the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art he was encouraged to consider shifting his focus to the decorative arts with a concentration in fashion history and curation.
Patrick completed graduate studies 17th and 18th century French Royal interiors and decoration and 18th century French fashion culture at Musée Les Arts Decoratifs-Musée de Louvre in Paris. Upon his return to New York along with other classes and independent studies in American fashion he earned his MA in the History of Decorative Arts and Design from the Parsons/Cooper Hewitt Design Museum program in New York. His final specialist focus was in 19th century English fashion and interiors with distinction in 20th century American fashion history and design.
Currently, he is an Associate Teaching Professor at Parsons School of Design leading fashion history lecture-studios within the School of Art and Design History and Theory,
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