Patrick Grant (designer) facts for kids

Patrick James Grant FRSA (born 1 May 1972) is a Scottish expert in clothing, a businessman, and a well-known TV personality. He is currently in charge of Community Clothing, a brand focused on making clothes in a fair way. He also runs Cookson & Clegg, a company that makes textiles.

Patrick Grant used to be the director of famous tailors like Norton & Sons on Savile Row and the clothing line E. Tautz & Sons. Since 2013, he has been a judge on the popular BBC One TV show The Great British Sewing Bee.

After taking over Norton & Sons in 2005, Patrick Grant helped the old business become successful again. He brought back E. Tautz & Sons as a ready to wear (off-the-rack) clothing brand in 2009. For this, he won the Menswear Designer award at the British Fashion Awards in 2010.

Patrick Grant often speaks out about problems in the fashion world. He is especially concerned about how fast fashion and clothes made from artificial materials can harm the environment. He wrote a book called Less: Stop Buying So Much Rubbish — How Having Fewer, Better Things Can Make Us Happier, which came out in May 2024.

Early Life and Education

Patrick Grant was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, and grew up in the Morningside area of the city. His father, James, used to manage 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 joined Barnard Castle School as a boarding student. He played rugby union for Scotland at the Under 18 and Under 19 levels. His rugby career ended early because of a shoulder injury.

He studied material sciences at the University of Leeds, finishing in 1994. He chose this subject because he was very interested in "how things are made." Part of his course involved studying for a year in France at the University of Orleans.

After university, Patrick lived in the United States for a while. He worked as a ski instructor, a camp counselor, a nanny, and a model agent. He came back to Britain in 1995 and started a career in marketing. In 2004, he began studying for an MBA degree at Saïd Business School at the University of Oxford. His final project was about how luxury fashion brands like Burberry became popular again.

Fashion Career Highlights

Patrick Grant has had a big impact on the fashion world. He has helped old clothing companies become modern and successful.

Bringing Back Norton & Sons

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

The business was not doing well at the time. Patrick said it was "a wonderful artisanal tailor not making the best of its assets." He worked hard to bring the company back to life by focusing on its long history and making new, exciting changes. He made sure the business focused only on making tailored clothes again. By 2011, Norton & Sons had many more customers and was making more suits.

Relaunching E. Tautz & Sons

In 2009, Patrick Grant brought back another old brand called E. Tautz & Sons. This time, he launched it as a ready-to-wear brand, meaning clothes that are made in standard sizes and sold directly to customers. His work with E. Tautz earned him the Menswear Designer of 2010 award at the British Fashion Awards.

The E. Tautz brand was more experimental than Norton & Sons. It became very popular, especially in Asia. However, the business closed in 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Hammond & Co. Clothing Line

In 2013, Patrick Grant also relaunched Hammond & Co. This was another brand that used to be part of Norton & Sons. He made it a special clothing line sold only at the British store Debenhams. This line was very successful, but Debenhams stores closed in 2021.

Saving Cookson & Clegg

In 2015, Patrick Grant bought a clothing factory in Blackburn called Cookson & Clegg. This saved the factory from closing down. Cookson & Clegg has a long history, starting in 1860. They used to make leather goods and military uniforms. Today, the company makes jackets, jeans, and trousers for many UK clothing brands.

Starting Community Clothing

In 2016, Patrick Grant launched Community Clothing. This is a special clothing brand that focuses on being sustainable and fair. It's a social enterprise, which means it aims to help people and the environment, not just make money. The brand makes basic clothing items to provide steady jobs at British clothing factories. It also helps to reduce clothing waste.

Media Work and TV Appearances

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

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

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

Awards and Recognition

Patrick Grant has received several awards and honors for his work in fashion and business:

• In 2013, he was made an Honorary Professor in Business at Glasgow Caledonian University.
• He became a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (FRSA) in 2016.
• 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 special protective clothing for the NHS. He now spends his time between London and Lancashire.

Patrick's partner is a dentist whom he met in 2022. His mother still lives in Edinburgh.