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If there was a prize for the liveliest crowd in London this week, it would have to go to Patrick McDowell. On the top floor of The Mills Fabrica, a King’s Cross co-working space dedicated to sustainability (very much McDowell’s M.O.), champagne glasses were clinked and chatter continued right up to the moment the show, titled Cinderella Shall Go To the Football, started. Soon after, cheers erupted as each look paraded down a runway of artificial turf, followed by particularly hearty applause as the models returned for their final go-around with kids from a local grassroots football charity.

McDowell has built his fledgling brand (he graduated from Central Saint Martins in 2018, and has since debuted a handful of his own collections along with collaborations with everyone from Katharine Hamnett to Converse) on twin pillars: an authentic commitment to sustainability, and a joyous reveling in the nuances of queer identity. Where the former is concerned, McDowell reeled off a genuinely impressive list of the details quietly embedded in the clothes. In terms of fabric alone, there are naturally tanned Evolved by Nature leathers with a biodegradable finish, Tencel fibers, upcycled vintage silks, recycled wools; the list goes on. Also worth noting is his sales model, which operates entirely made-to-order so as not to produce anything that could end up on a garbage heap.

“People really respond well to it,” McDowell said, noting a handful of orders had already been placed straight off the runway when we spoke the morning after his late-night show. “We can make everything from a size four to a size 24, meaning a client who might feel excluded in other stores can buy something that’s both interesting and fits them properly.” The enthusiasm at the show was prompted in part by the fact that the show was very much a community effort, with McDowell’s friends and collaborators coming together to support his vision of footy-fabulous ballgowns, tweed separates, dramatic eco-leather puffer jackets, and a particularly charming skirt made of seamed-together soccer jerseys with a toggle drawstring waist.

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As far as queerness goes, the story behind McDowell’s collection was one of self-discovery, blending his childhood love for Cinderella and his feelings of exclusion from the hypermasculine world of football that surrounded him growing up. (The seating for the show was divided into sections according to the rival teams of his hometown, Liverpool and Everton F.C.) “My collections always have a very personal story behind them,” said McDowell. “I’m interested at looking at these very masculine elements and thinking about how we can transform them in a space that works for, and feels welcoming for, queer people.” He continued, “What would a football game that was a safe space for queer people look like?” McDowell’s can-do spirit is admirable, and his topsy-turvy vision of fashion and football coming together in harmony—and most importantly, his dedication to making the fashion industry a kinder, more responsible place—was worthy of any trophy.

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