Patrick McDowell unveils his latest collection 'Marie Antoinette Goes to Liverpool'

Patrick McDowell  revealed his new London Fashion Week collection and debut collaboration with TENCEL™ lyocell fibres and TENCEL™ LUXE filament yarns, under Lenzing's textile specialty brand, created to enhance sustainability in the luxury and high-end fashion sector.

This season,  Patrick McDowell  has set out to draw parallels between his Liverpudlian heritage and the world of French royalty taking inspiration from the opulence and overindulgence of Marie Antoinette, and the women of  Liverpool that Patrick grew up watching peacock around his hometown. Combining the brand's signature 'PX' logo with the 'LET THEM EAT CAKE' slogan McDowell reinvents the imperial French flag through the vision of the collection's concept, infusing French couture with Liverpool staples, such as the tracksuit and the ball gown.

The collection draws upon pastel tones in an ode toMarie Antoinette's  preference towards colours representing youth and femininity combined with strong accents of chartreuse and noir. McDowell experiments with varying proportions of basqued waists and bouffant skirts, blending classic silhouettes with contemporary Liverpudlian twists. Playing with volume and proportion whilst juxtaposing tracksuits and corsets to bring these classic design features into a modern age, McDowell presents his vision unencumbered by gendered constraints. The prints from this collection have been created from family pictures of Patrick, his Mother and Grandmother in their childhood years, drawing on the element of personal storytelling that is integral to McDowell's design practice and reflecting on these childhood memories which Marie herself held so dear. McDowell's design philosophy remains true to a sustainable practice, working solely with recycled and sustainable materials, fabric made from TENCEL™  lyocell fibres and TENCEL™ LUXE filament yarns has been provided by ELYAF and SÖKTAŞ.