Students get chance to impress ‘Sew Yummy’ ‘Menswear Designer’

Published On Thu 19 May 2016 by Grant Hill

Textile Design students from the University of Dundee will have the opportunity to wow Patrick Grant, leading fashion designer and star of The Great British Sewing Bee, when he meets with them next week.

The creator of acclaimed menswear collections will be taking part in a number of events when he visits the city on Saturday, 28^th May.

Final-year students from Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design, part of the University, will showcase their work to Patrick, who will discuss their creations with them and pass on advice from his experiences in the industry. The students’ work will be on display to the public as part of this year’s Art, Design and Architecture Degree Show from Friday.

From there, he will deliver the final instalment of the University’s 2016 Saturday Evening Lecture Series at the Dalhousie Building from 6pm. ‘Menswear Designer’ will see him discuss his fascinating journey from engineering to fashion and worldwide success with his label E Tautz as well as designing for Debenhams with the hugely successful Hammond & Co collection.

Earlier in the day Patrick will participate in the ‘Sew Yummy’ event, which takes place at West Ward Works as part of the Dundee Design Festival and will see him gives tips to guests about how to make fabulous creations as well as talking about what he loves most about his job.

Textile Design Course Director Frances Stevenson said, “This is a fantastic opportunity for our students to learn from someone working at the cutting edge of fashion. Not only is Patrick Grant an award-winning designer but he is also a highly successful businessman and the importance of entrepreneurial thinking is something we always impress upon our students.”

Edinburgh-born Patrick says he ended up in fashion by accident, having studied material sciences and engineering at University. He then worked for large engineering and technology companies and was studying for an MBA in 2005 when he heard the defunct Savile Row tailor Norton & Sons was up for sale.

Despite having no formal training or experience in fashion, he sold his house and car to fund an unlikely career change. Patrick rejuvenated the stuffy tailor’s shop before being named Menswear Designer Of The Year at the British Fashion Awards in 2010. Another old brand, Hammond and Co, was then revived exclusively for Debenhams and is now officially the most successful menswear collection in the history of the store.

Earlier this year, Patrick turned his attention to Community Clothing, a crowdfunded initiative to save Britain’s textile factories from closure. He now hopes to create apprenticeships and support skill training within the garment industry in the UK.

“I went back to university to do an MBA and then I came across Norton and Sons by complete chance,” he explained. “It just sounded amazing, so I took the plunge. “I’ve always loved clothes and was always really obsessed about how I dressed but I never thought about making a career out of clothes at all.

“Community Clothing began with me thinking about jumpers. Every British schoolkid should have a jumper but we’re losing all our wonderful mills and meanwhile sending our kids to school in polyester uniforms made on the other side of the world. Why can’t we marry the huge demand for school jumpers with all these people who just want to make them?”

‘Menswear Designer’ takes place at the Dalhousie Building on Saturday, 28th May from 6-7pm. Free tickets for this event are available by visiting www.dundee.ac.uk/sels, emailing events@dundee.ac.uk, calling 01382 385108 or from the University’s Tower Building Reception.

Please note that overflow theatres may be in use and the Main Lecture Theatre is filled on a first come, first seated basis.

‘Sew Yummy’ takes place at West Ward Works from 2-3.30pm on Saturday, 28th May as part of Dundee Design Festival. 

For media enquiries contact:
Grant Hill
Press Officer
University of Dundee
Nethergate, Dundee, DD1 4HN
Tel: +44 (0)1382 384768
Mobile: 07854 953277
Email: g.hill@dundee.ac.uk