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In this episode, I have the immense pleasure of speaking with Patrick Grant, a Savile Row tailor, campaigner, TV presenter, and the mind behind several sustainable clothing ventures – his influence has stretched far beyond the cutting table.
The UK was once a textile powerhouse, spinning 70% of the world’s cotton within just a 40-square-mile area. Yet this golden age faced a steep decline, with employment plummeting from 1.6 million to under 100,000 today.
However the true cost is in the diminished quality of our clothes, and despite purchasing five times more, we only use a third of it.
Patrick’s commitment to the industry's future is evident in his rescue and revitalisation of the Blackburn clothing manufacturer Cookson & Clegg, and 150 year old Saville Row tailor Norton & Sons.
He then went on to launch Community Clothing, a sustainable clothing brand that prides itself on using plastic-free materials and being 100% made in the UK.
Beyond his business endeavours, he is also the host of the BBC’s Great British Sewing Bee and Coronation Tailors: Fit for a King.
Chapters
(00:00) The journey to today
(01:32) The common thread of his endeavours
(05:17) The decline of UK textile manufacturing
(10:16) Why Community Clothing is different
(15:31) Marketing is making us buy more
(19:23) Why we've lost the skill of repairing clothes
(20:20) Buying less, but better
(25:47) Sustainability in the fashion Industry
(34:21) Transitioning to a Low-Volume, High-Quality Economy
(28:01) The real cost of Fast Fashion
(29:57) Building items that last
(34:25) The future of the Fashion Industry
(36:13) How clothes can influence how you feel and think
(37:59) The 1-minute takeaway
Links:
Visit Community Clothing:
https://communityclothing.co.uk/
Visit Norton & Sons
Visit Ben’s Website:
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