LFW designer Patrick McDowell: ‘It’s hard running a brand — many designers are struggling’

On the podcast, McDowell discusses their new business model focused on limited, made-to-order pieces, their brand’s work-life balance approach and their take on “quiet luxury.” They also shared the challenges for London Fashion Week brands, when it comes to inclusive design, as well as the impact of dressing celebrities. Below are highlights from the conversation, which have been lightly edited for clarity.

On ‘quiet luxury‘

“Quiet luxury is a trend. I think true luxury is about making pieces that are made for people and that they can keep for their lifetime and possibly the lifetime of generations after them. And that’s really what we’re trying to do. … I’ve always been interested in creating pieces that are special, that tell stories and that work for our clients. … Our shows are a very creative expression of a very narrative-led way of thinking, and they really showcase that creativity in an amazing way. But at the core of that are great clothes. … It’s always been so important for me to create pieces in this way, which is made-to-order and limited edition. So we know that we’re making things that work for people, that fit them properly, that they can keep forever and that they can bring back to us to rework when they’re no longer working for their bodies — or when their daughters steal them and they need them to be fitted.”

Creating work-life balance for employees

“You could argue that it’s never been done before, but it’s something I’ve always been very keen on, even in my own studio. I have very strict working hours, and I don’t like it when people are there longer. I’m usually pushing people out the door at 5.30 p.m. to get them home, purely because I want people to work well when they work for me. … I don’t want them to be bored. … When you’re really strict around the hours that people work, it just means that people really show up and work for you when you need them to, because they know that they have that balance. So it made sense to extend that to the production of our pieces, as well, and to work with people when they have the time so that the pieces are being made really beautifully — because that’s really the whole point of what we’re doing.”

Why the wholesale model doesn’t work for size inclusivity

“It’s incredibly hard running a fashion brand. Financially, it often doesn’t make sense on paper. … Many designers are struggling, and they’re also inside a wholesale business model, which supports standardization — and every size that you make is a new product, essentially. And so it’s an additional cost, and it can become very expensive to do very big size ranges. So then you could argue: Why don’t you step outside of that business model and just make the things people actually want to buy from you? And then, suddenly, you’ll have more time to focus on the things that you’re actually making, and people will spend more on average with you because you make them things that actually fit them. And then they’ll come back to you because you’ve created something that’s like a proper relationship with them, right? They have that direct connection with you.”