Liverpool designer Patrick McDowell pioneers sustainable fashion with Queen Elizabeth II Award win

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1. https://www.theindustry.fashion/patrick-mcdowell-receives-queen-elizabeth-ii-award-for-british-design/ - Please view link - unable to able to access data
2. https://www.theindustry.fashion/patrick-mcdowell-receives-queen-elizabeth-ii-award-for-british-design/ - Liverpool-born designer Patrick McDowell has been awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Award for British Design, presented by The Princess of Wales in a ceremony hosted by the British Fashion Council at 180 Studios. The accolade recognizes emerging designers making a positive impact through creativity, community, and sustainability—pillars that McDowell has championed since launching his brand in 2018. True to form, McDowell forwent the typical post-award runway moment and instead brought their studio to life inside the venue. Guests were invited into the making process: from fittings and embroidery to live pattern-cutting. McDowell's first designs were upcycled accessories sold to friends and teachers. After training at Central Saint Martins and working as an intern under Christopher Bailey at Burberry, McDowell launched a namesake label that fused occasionwear with environmental innovation. Seven years later, McDowell’s ethos remains intact: bespoke, narrative-led design, minimal waste, and garments made to last. Fittingly, the jacket worn to accept the award was made from a leftover Burberry Prince of Wales check—the very fabric donated for McDowell’s graduate collection, neatly connecting past to present. While the fashion landscape continues to shift amid economic headwinds and changing consumer values, McDowell has held firm. His business remains intentionally small-scale and profitable, leaning into direct-to-consumer and made-to-order models. The upcoming September collection will blend upcycled pieces with next-gen materials from sustainable innovators like Circ and Sparxell—proof that beauty and responsibility need not be mutually exclusive. This win places McDowell in the company of past recipients like Richard Quinn, Bethany Williams, and Saul Nash, all designers rewriting the rules of modern British fashion. Other British designers in attendance included Conner Ives and jewellery designer Bleue Burnham. As a graduate of Central Saint Martins, Ives dressed model Adwoa Aboah for the 2021 Met Gala while still studying, and subsequently gained the notice of Rihanna, who hired him to help create her first Fenty collection. Like McDowell, Ives has been praised for his sustainable initiatives, using deadstock fabric and recycled vintage clothing to create offbeat collections that draw on streetwear and American youth culture. Bleue Burnham is a London-based jewellery designer known for bold, nature-inspired pieces crafted from recycled metals and lab-grown gemstones. After launching his brand in 2018, he quickly gained recognition for colourful, textured designs that blend artistry with sustainability. From his studio at 180 The Strand, Burnham leads a team focused on low-impact practices. He has collaborated with Gucci Vault and Palm Angels, and recently launched Dudley Coppice, a menswear label with the same eco-minded ethos.
3. https://www.forbes.com/sites/angelalei/2025/02/17/patrick-mcdowell-partners-with-huue-to-launch-capsule-in-sustainable-indigo-dye/ - British designer Patrick McDowell has partnered with Huue, a leading figure in bio-technology celebrated for its eco-friendly approach to color production, to debut a transformative capsule collection ahead of the AW25 season of London Fashion Week. The collaboration features three bespoke designs utilizing Huue’s innovative biosynthetic indigo dye, further strengthening McDowell’s leadership in driving the industry towards a more sustainable and circular future. McDowell emphasizes the importance of sustainable practices in fashion, noting that dyes often contain toxic chemicals that damage the environment, especially indigo. The partnership with Huue is a natural extension of McDowell’s ethos, blending sustainability, craftsmanship, and innovation. The initiative showcases McDowell’s dedication to revolutionizing the fashion industry through environmentally friendly practices. By adopting natural dyes, the brand not only ensures their aesthetic appeal but also fosters a garment life cycle that remains eco-safe. Huue’s bio-innovative indigo dye boasts a composition that is five times less toxic than traditional indigo and remarkably skin-friendly. Designed to minimize environmental impact, Huue’s dye maintains the color intensity and durability found in traditional synthetic dyes. By January 2025, Huue has reached significant milestones in providing transparent, sustainable color solutions, poised to become the top choice for brands prioritizing ecological integrity and transparency. United Textile Mills, a pioneering leader in sustainable fabric production, is instrumental in translating this ecological vision into reality. By incorporating Huue’s biosynthetic dye into its processes, UTM showcases how bio-based solutions can be adopted at scale without sacrificing performance. The collaboration between McDowell and Huue represents a significant step forward in sustainable fashion, demonstrating that innovation and environmental responsibility can coexist harmoniously.
4. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/patrick-mcdowell-sustainable-british-fashion-designer-retells-the-fantastical-story-of-cinderella-in-their-latest-collection-cinderella-shall-go-to-the-football-301751443.html - British fashion designer Patrick McDowell has unveiled his latest collection, 'Cinderella Shall Go to the Football,' which reimagines the classic fairy tale with a contemporary twist. The collection marries contemporary and classical design, using couture practices to redefine sportswear. McDowell reinvents Cinderella's dress with modern Liverpudlian adaptations and reimagines the glass slipper with upcycled Swarovski crystal football boots. True to his sustainable design philosophy, McDowell works 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. Wadding has been provided by Thermore, whose innovative Ecodown is made of 100% recycled fibres from post-consumer plastic bottles and is microfiber-free. 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 part of his commitment to sustainability, McDowell has 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.
5. https://fashionunited.com/news/people/patrick-mcdowell-named-ecovative-global-design-ambassador/2024060560203 - British fashion designer Patrick McDowell has been named the inaugural global design ambassador for Ecovative’s innovative Forager mycelium materials. Ecovative plans to collaborate with McDowell to push the boundaries of traditional design by creating never-before-seen looks with cutting-edge mycelium materials, aiming to reimagine the possibilities for leather-like applications in fashion. Ecovative's Forager materials are grown from mycelium, the root structure of mushrooms, providing an alternative to traditional leather and plastic fashion materials. These biodegradable materials require significantly less land and natural resources to produce. McDowell expressed his belief in Ecovative's mission, stating that reimagining the fashion system has been integral to his brand since its inception, and working with material innovation is exciting and necessary to drive long-term positive change in the fashion industry in a way that is kinder to the planet. To celebrate the collaboration with Ecovative, McDowell debuted the ‘Benoit’ blazer, crafted from Forager mycelium textiles at London Craft Week. The design can be viewed on display at The Planet-Saving Innovations exhibition until September 30 at Fabrica X in London.
6. https://www.fashionado.net/blog/2023/2/21/patrick-mcdowell-fw23-london-fashion-week - Patrick McDowell's FW23 London Fashion Week collection emphasizes sustainable practices, utilizing recycled and sustainable materials. Fabric printing was undertaken by Esce-tex in the UK, using sustainable printing sources and techniques on fabrics made of TENCEL™ LUXE, a biodegradable filament solution. Vintage silk was provided by the Italian mill Taroni, and Scottish woven tweed by Harris Tweed Hebrides. Manteco® provided MWool®, a material made entirely from recycled wool and dyed without harmful chemicals. Wadding was provided by Thermore, whose Ecodown is made of 100% recycled fibres from post-consumer plastic bottles and is microfiber-free. 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. To further the commitment to people and the planet, McDowell 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.
7. https://mover-magazine.com/events/patrick-mcdowell-unveils-aw24-collection-in-collaboration-with-guildhall-school-of-music-amp-drama/ - Patrick McDowell's AW24 collection, unveiled in collaboration with the Guildhall School of Music & Drama, introduces a disruptive sustainable luxury model, reimagining the traditional catwalk and proposing innovative solutions for conscious, sustainable growth. Pieces from the collection will be available in limited quantities, adhering strictly to sustainable and ethical principles. McDowell’s commitment to sustainability extends to garment longevity, offering complimentary re-fitting services to accommodate changes in body size over time. Each garment is meticulously crafted in London with a focus on minimizing carbon footprint. McDowell exclusively utilizes recycled and sustainable materials, supported by a long-term partnership with The Lenzing Group. Fabrics like TENCEL™ enhance the musical theme of the collection with their flowing textures. Printing on GOTS certified Escetex textiles ensures sustainability in fabric production, while eco interlinings from Chargeurs PCC and NATIVA wool paddings further underscore McDowell’s dedication to sustainability. Founded in 2018, Patrick McDowell has emerged as a prominent advocate for sustainable fashion, redefining luxury through ethical practices.