Patrick Grant (designer) facts for kids

Patrick James Grant (born 1 May 1972) is a Scottish fashion expert, businessman, and TV personality. He is known for his work in the clothing industry and for being a judge on the TV show The Great British Sewing Bee.

Patrick Grant leads a company called Community Clothing and a textile factory named Cookson & Clegg. He used to be in charge of famous tailors like Norton & Sons and the clothing brand E. Tautz & Sons. In 2025, he became the Chancellor of Edinburgh’s Queen Margaret University.

After taking over Norton & Sons in 2005, Grant helped the business become successful again. He also brought back the E. Tautz & Sons clothing line in 2009. For this, he won the Menswear Designer award at the British Fashion Awards in 2010.

Grant often speaks out about problems in the fashion world. He is especially concerned about how "fast fashion" (cheap, quickly made clothes) and clothes made from fake materials can harm the environment. In May 2024, he published a book called Less: Stop Buying So Much Rubbish — How Having Fewer, Better Things Can Make Us Happier.

Early Life and School

Patrick Grant was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, and grew up in the Morningside area. His father, James, managed a pop band before becoming an accountant. His mother, Susan, worked for the University of Edinburgh.

Patrick went to South Morningside Primary School and then Edinburgh Academy. Later, he became a boarding student at Barnard Castle School. He enjoyed rugby and played for Scotland at the Under 18 and Under 19 levels. However, a shoulder injury ended his rugby career.

Studying Materials and Business

Patrick studied material sciences at the University of Leeds, finishing in 1994. He chose this subject because he was interested in "how things are made." He also spent a year studying in France.

After university, Patrick worked in different jobs in the United States, including being a ski instructor and a nanny. He returned to Britain in 1995 and started a career in marketing.

From 2004, Patrick studied for an MBA degree (Master of Business Administration) at the University of Oxford. His final project was about how luxury fashion brands like Burberry could become popular again.

Patrick Grant's Career in Fashion

Bringing Back Norton & Sons

In 2005, while studying at Oxford, Patrick Grant found out that Norton & Sons, a famous tailoring business, was for sale. He decided to buy it, selling his house and car and borrowing money from friends and family. The deal was completed in December 2005.

The business was not doing well at the time. Patrick worked hard to make it successful again by focusing on its history and improving how it was run. By 2011, Norton & Sons had many more customers and was making more suits. In 2018, all his businesses together earned about £75 million a year.

After the COVID-19 pandemic, Patrick sold most of his share in Norton & Sons to other tailors. He still owns a small part of the company.

Relaunching E. Tautz & Sons

In 2009, Patrick Grant brought back E. Tautz & Sons, which was a part of Norton & Sons. He turned it into a "ready-to-wear" brand, meaning clothes that are made in standard sizes and sold directly to customers.

For his work with E. Tautz, he won the Menswear Designer of 2010 award at the British Fashion Awards. This brand became very popular, especially in Asia. E. Tautz clothes were often more experimental than the traditional Norton & Sons suits.

Sadly, E. Tautz & Sons closed down in 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Cookson & Clegg Factory

In 2015, Patrick bought a clothing factory in Blackburn called Cookson & Clegg. This saved the factory from closing. Cookson & Clegg has a long history, starting in 1860. They used to make leather items and military uniforms for the British Army.

Today, Cookson & Clegg makes jackets, jeans, and trousers for many UK clothing brands. They use both traditional and modern fabrics.

Community Clothing: Sustainable Fashion

In 2016, Patrick Grant started Community Clothing. This is a special clothing brand that focuses on being sustainable and helping local communities. It is a "social enterprise," which means it aims to do good for society, not just make money.

Community Clothing makes basic clothes like t-shirts and jeans. Their goal is to provide steady jobs at British clothing factories and reduce clothing waste.

Other Fashion Projects

Patrick also worked with the famous brand Barbour. In 2012, he became the Creative Director for their Beacon Heritage line.

Patrick Grant in Media

Many people know Patrick Grant from his role as a judge on the BBC One TV show The Great British Sewing Bee. On the show, amateur sewers compete to create different garments.

He has also appeared in fashion magazines like GQ and Esquire. You might have seen him as a guest on BBC TV and radio shows, such as Breakfast and Countryfile.

In May 2023, Patrick presented a documentary called Coronation Tailors: Fit for a King. This show was about how military uniforms were prepared for the Coronation of King Charles III.

Awards and Recognition

Patrick Grant has received several honors for his work:

• In 2013, he was made an Honorary Professor in Business at Glasgow Caledonian University.
• In 2016, he became a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (FRSA).
• In 2017, he received an Honorary Doctorate from Heriot Watt University's School of Textiles and Design.
• In 2018, he became a co-chair of the Prince of Wales' charity Future Textiles. This group works to keep clothing-making skills alive and create jobs in the UK.

Personal Life

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Patrick Grant moved from London to Lancashire in March 2020. He went there to help run his factory in Blackburn, which was making personal protective equipment (PPE) for the NHS. He now splits his time between London and Lancashire.

Patrick's father passed away in 2020 after getting COVID-19. His mother still lives in Edinburgh.