Page 123 - The Bite Magazine - Spring Summer 2013

Avant-garde, eccentric, structured and dramatic are the words that spring
to mind when one thinks of Patrick Ian Hartley.The Leeds-born designer
has captured the imagination of the most iconic visionaries in the industry.
He counts Lady Gaga as one of his clients, has had his designs visualised
by an accolade of prestigious photographers, his work showcased at The Victoria &
Albert Museum and collected by the Museum of Arts and Design in NewYork and
TheWellcome Collection in London. Quite a portfolio for a man who just ‘fell into
fashion’…
Typically, a designer is defined as “a person who plans the form, look, or working of
something before it is made or built, typically by drawing it in detail.” This definition
stands true for 99% of designers in the industry today, however Patrick Hartley is an
exception, the minority, the 1%. His pieces omit a very different kind of presence, not
least because, unlike other designers, he sticks to a niche: he specialises in producing
unique, bespoke Face Corsets and neckwear. His approach to designing appears to
be more methodical and structured, yet it remains high fashion.
When exploring Hartley’s background, it is almost easy to see from his designs
that he did not travel down the ‘typical’ Fashion School route. In fact, Patrick
trained in ceramics and sculpture. His experience has ranged from creating a
transformed or reconfigured
in a variety of ways.
Attention to detail, an
ability to be unique and
the contextualisation of
his pieces, are the three
things Patrick holds in high
regards. Looking at graduate
fashion shows he is no longer
surprised to see the poor
finishing of a garment, and
advises to those guilty parties
to “detail it like your life
depends on it!” He owes his
success to his unique design
approach to his work, “Do
not expect to be discovered.
Tell the world that you exist.
Tell people what makes
you different and how
they possibly can’t work
without you.” Hartley
claims the most frustrating
aspect of his job is the
misrepresentation of what a
public art sculpture in a bronze casting foundry, producing commercial concrete
cast sculptures for an art-stone manufacturer and developing arts and museum
education. Judging from his background working in a variety of creative industries,
there is no question as to where his unique vision evolved from.
Patrick may confess that“fashion found me” but,nonetheless,he remains adamant
that it was through the hard graft, inspiration and skillset acquired from working
in creative industries that provided him with a library of expertise and an attitude
that “if I put my mind to it and broke down a task into components, I could make
anything.” Reflecting back on his beginnings, Hartley pays homage to the “wonderful
Mr Simon Foxton”, who first commissioned Patrick and his Face Corsets nearly ten
years ago. It was his work with Simon that truly propelled Patrick into the fashion
industry; prior to this he had never envisaged a career in such a consuming vortex.
Still, even after his work had been given the spotlight it deserved, Patrick was
reserved about taking the plunge: “In my mind, the Face Corsets were a series of
artworks for the body. Fashion applications hadn’t crossed my mind.” Even after he
did enter the world of fashion, his vision and approach stayed true to his beginnings.
Patrick didn’t succumb to ‘fashion’ and ‘trends’, instead he forged a name for himself
in an industry that is notoriously unforgiving to the unknown and obscure.
London is arguably one of the fashion capitals of the world. The familiar and
unfamiliar adorn the streets of the city and, in a capital with such a diverse style,
Patrick Hartley, unlike many who have tried before, define the city’s style perfectly:
“To my eyes, London has no specific fashion style because anything goes,” he said.
“Sure, there are parts of the city where a particular look may be more prevalent
than in other parts, but on the whole, there are no rules.” His refusal to commit
to what fashion is underpins the entirety of his collections. He pushes boundaries,
by using transparent flexible PVC “which is my signature material” and, rather than
transfix over how his pieces will fit into societal trends, he creates Face Corsets
and neckwear to physically transform the wearer or as pieces that intend to be
garment is and how it should
be worn. In order to avoid
this, he suggests designers
should “pay attention to the
pieces in a shoot.The body is
an essential component allied
to creations.”
Event pieces are where
the future lies for the high
fashion extraordinaire that
is Patrick Ian Hartley. He
wants to establish a practice
of designing and making
bespoke garments to quench
his artistic thirst. Rather than
branch out into the obvious,
Patrick is looking forward to
“allowing one collection to
evolve and inform the next.”
You know the saying, “don’t
fix it if it isn’t broken.”
‘When exploring
Hartley’s
background, it is
almost easy to see
from his designs
that he did not
travel down the
‘typical’ Fashion
School route.’
bitedesignerprofile
http://patrickianhartley.com