In this episode, I have the immense pleasure of talking 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 40squaremile area. Alongside the rise of a fast fashion culture, this golden era witnessed a dramatic downturn with the loss of countless jobs and an unstable future.

Patrick’s commitment to the industry's future is evident in his rescue and revitalisation of the Blackburn clothing manufacturer, Cookson & Clegg, where he implemented a more sustainable approach and helped save the factory from closure. He then went on to launch Community Clothing, a sustainable clothing brand that prides itself on using plasticfree materials and being 100% made in the UK.

Takeaways
How clothes can influence how you feel and think
The decline of the UK's textile industry
The true cost of fast fashion
Investing in fewer, but higher quality garments can save costs and protect our planet
The future of the fashion industry.

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 LowVolume, HighQuality 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 1minute takeaway

Links:
Visit Community Clothing
https://communityclothing.co.uk/
Visit Norton & Sons
https://nortonandsons.co.uk/
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