Patrick McDowell FW23 London Fashion Week

Patrick McDowell, Sustainable British Fashion Designer retells the fantastical story of Cinderella in their latest collection 'Cinderella Shall go to the Football'

This London Fashion Week season, in a retelling of Cinderella's story intertwined with Patrick McDowell’s own sustainable fantasy, they brought a new collection to life. A tale reimagined and retold - 'Cinderella Shall Go to the Football.' Furthering their celebration of strong women, McDowell has combined the opulence and magic of Cinderella with culturally iconic sportswear. Putting the Femme into Football, the Princess will dazzle on the turf; in Swarovski jeweled boots and regal silhouettes. McDowell brings the fandom of Liverpudlian glamour to make the belle of the ball.

"For me, making clothes is a form of storytelling. You can learn a lot about who I am and what is important to me from the clothes I make. It's about feeling and looking great without a huge impact on the planet. It's about lifting your head a little higher or feeling like YES - I can do that thing I thought I couldn't. This collection celebrates that, it's unashamedly me and I'm proud of that because I wouldn't be where I am today without the help of clothes like these." - Patrick McDowell.

Redefining the beautiful game - McDowell works to further Queer culture in football; a historically exclusionary space to so many. Patrick reflects this in the collection by designing free of gender norms, blurring lines between princess and punter. In a time when football has never been so femme, McDowell has teamed up with The Lionesses star player Alex Greenwood, following their spectacular performance in The Euros, to embody the strong woman leading the way. Alex's Euro winning boots will walk the runway along with the release of images of the star wearing pieces from this new collection. A surprise appearance from members of The Bloomsbury football club will highlight their incredible work with thousands of young people weekly across london.

Through color blocking, McDowell makes playful reference to the infamous rivalry of Everton FC and Liverpool FC. We see both team's iconic color pallets reimagined, combined and juxtaposed. Strikes of iconic red and chartreuse stand against the vibrant Liverpool and Everton Kit colors. Paired with dashes of Cinderella blue and accented throughout with noir. Prints include dried flowers from Patrick's Previous runway, football pitch mushrooms and magical rain drops, sensational crystals and the Red Aids ribbon that will support Patrick's ongoing relationship with Positive East, London's leading HIV charity.  McDowell marries contemporary and classical design; using couture practices to redefine sportswear. Reinventing Cinderella's dress with modern Livepudlian adaptations and reimagining the glass slipper with upcycled Swarovski crystal football boots.

McDowell's design philosophy remains true to a sustainable practice, working solely with recycled and sustainable materials. Collaborating with Evolved By Nature, all chrome free, naturally tanned leather pieces within the collection have a biodegradable finish made from sustainable Activated Silk™ biotechnology to ensure their quality, durability and eventual return to the earth. Fabric printing has been undertaken by Esce-tex in the UK, using sustainable printing sources and techniques on fabrics made of TENCEL™ LUXE, a botanic, biodegradable filament solution for a wide range of applications and fabric developments. Vintage silk has been provided by the Italian mill Taroni and Scottish woven tweed by Harris Tweed Hebrides. Manteco® has provided MWool®, a material made entirely from recycled wool and is dyed without harmful chemicals. In addition to short supply chains and other sustainable business practices. Wadding has been provided by Thermore whose innovative Ecodown is made of 100% recycled fibres from post-consumer plastic bottles and is microfiber-free. CHARGEURS PCC has provided eco interlinings from its extensive S360 collection, created using sustainably-sourced and natural materials, along with their NATIVA wool paddings incorporating GRS-certified recycled and corn-based binders.

Each piece was designed and made in London with a low carbon footprint, and will be available on a limited edition, made-to-order basis following the show on McDowell's newly designed website. As ever, avoiding overproduction and creating long lasting, emotionally connected garments that fit the client perfectly is at the centre of the McDowell brand.

To further the commitment to people and the planet McDowell have worked with Ecologi to plant a tree for every guest at the show. Founded in 2019, Ecologi aims to make climate action simple, achievable and trustworthy for thousands of businesses and individuals. We've partnered with Olivanna, a high-performance, sustainable, British-born skincare brand, to prep model skin and showcase the next generation of skincare products to guests, along with multi-award winning, plastic free natural deodorant which doesn't leave marks on your clothes and truly performs! Makeup is by Daniel Bauer Academy and Hair supported by Toni & Guy. The reusable astroturf runway has been supplied by Easigrass and incredible fairytale footwear by Manolo Blahnik. The show took place on The Mills Fabrica estate,  an innovation platform dedicated to supporting fashion techstyle and agtech companies transition to a more sustainable future through innovations and collaborations. Sustainable Cremant brand Clii served drinks at the show.

FASHIONADO