Patrick Grant

Patrick Grant On 10 Years Of Community Clothing: ‘Manufacturing Jobs Are Good Jobs’

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C&TH sits down with the designer as he celebrates a decade of Communite Clothing

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Patrick Grant launched Community Clothing in 2016 with a defined and bold mission: to make exceptional-quality, affordable clothes and to create skilled jobs where they were needed most. After stepping in to save historic Blackburn manufacturer Cookson & Clegg from closure, he saw first-hand the need for a new model that would keep British factories busy, preserving specialist skills and creating secure employment within the country’s textile communities.

Community Clothing’s unique, off-peak production model allows partner factories to make their garments during quieter periods, helping them to use spare capacity, maintain skilled employment and operate more efficiently. Products are made almost exclusively from responsibly sourced natural fibres, with an emphasis on quality, durability and reducing environmental impact. Instead of producing endless seasonal collections, the brand creates timeless, everyday clothes designed to be worn and enjoyed for years.

As Community Clothing celebrates its 10th anniversary, now working with a nationwide network of 59 partner factories and with over 2,000 people employed within its manufacturing network, we ask Patrick Grant 10 questions about Community Clothing’s origins, some of the challenges and highlights along the journey, and his vision for the future. Plus, we pick out the 10 bestsellers from the brand’s first decade.

Community Clothing Turns 10: Patrick Grant Answers Our Top 10 Questions

Patrick Grant

Why did you start Community Clothing?

I’d become incredibly depressed and angry that so many great British manufacturing businesses were going to the wall. I wanted to try and do something to keep what was left of our amazing clothing and textile industry alive, and I also wanted to make buying and wearing great quality clothes an affordable reality for lots of people, not just the super wealthy.

What were your greatest challenges in establishing the brand?

Finding investment in a radically different business model was, and remains, tough. Most people who invest in fashion businesses do so because either they want big and fast financial returns, or they invest for the fun of going to fashion parties and hanging out with models and actors. We weren’t offering either of these things. Community Clothing was always going to be a slow grower, with steady returns, and none of them splashed on fancy events and glamorous people.

What has been your proudest achievement over the last 10 years?

I’m just proud that we’ve got here. To still be going 10 years on despite everything that’s been thrown at us is not to be sniffed at. And I’m proud that we make brilliant clothes that people love (half a million socks can’t be wrong). But to create the work we’ve created, over two thirds of a million hours, and to keep at least a handful of our suppliers alive, that really does make me feel very good about the work that the team and I do every day.

Community Clothing

What have been your biggest learnings over the 10 years?

A good product at a good price is enough for a lot of people. You don’t need to pay Kardashians millions to convince people to buy your product if it’s actually good.

Is there anything you would have done differently in hindsight?

Really, there isn’t much. We’ve pretty much nailed every product, we’ve spent our money very wisely, we’ve always been honest and transparent about the ups and the downs, and as a result, we have an amazing, loyal customer base.

What message would you like to send to the ‘powers that be’ about the importance of British clothing manufacturing?

Manufacturing jobs are good jobs. They’re jobs that bring the everyday satisfaction of using your mind and your hands to create something good and valuable, that people in your community need and value. We’ve looked down our noses at these jobs for far too long. But making textiles and clothes is something, as a nation, we’ve been very good at for a very long time. And we’re not going to start wearing 3D-printed space suits or AI clothes any time soon, so these are jobs with a future. Making jobs are also jobs for anyone, not just those who leave school with the best A Levels.

Community Clothing

Which person, living or dead, would be the ultimate Community Clothing ambassador and why?

I’ve never sought to court celebrity endorsement for what we do. That being said, I’m always really pleased when I find out someone wears our stuff. One of our former interns was dressing the models for one of the big London Fashion Week shows recently and he messaged me to say that the guy he was dressing, a big film and TV star, was wearing our socks.

What piece of advice would you give to someone setting out to establish a fashion brand in the UK?

Making a fashion or clothing brand work is hard. I’d had 15 years’ experience running three brands before I started, and even then, there was a lot I didn’t know. Get good advice from people who have done it (not me though, I’m already working too many hours) and be very honest about your business plan. I’ve seen so many promising brands come and go, but I’ve also seen a good handful of great successes. Just don’t bet more than you can afford to lose.

How do you see the future looking for fashion manufacturing in the UK?

I’d like to be optimistic. We have an amazing textile and clothing manufacturing sector here, it’s world-beating, but we need the big UK brands to start making more here, and we need some government procurement to start giving the UK factories the base load they need to be efficient. But with a fair wind, I think the next 10 years will see it grow again.

What’s next on the horizon for Community Clothing?

We’ve some fun new things coming. We’ll be restarting international shipping (we did it when we were little, but then it got far too complicated). And we’ll shortly be trialling a take-back and second-hand programme on our clothes. Then just hopefully lots more of the same.