Patrick Church’s Art and Fashion: A Visual Autobiography
We dive into the emotional and creative universe of Patrick Church, a British artist and designer known for his visceral and authentic aesthetic, where art and fashion intertwine in an intimate and powerful way. Patrick shares his journey – from his first drawings as a form of personal expression to building a brand that celebrates identity, vulnerability and love. The artist invites us to understand how his British heritage, the relationship with his husband and his queer experience directly influence his artistic production and his creations in the fashion world. More than clothes, pieces are visual diaries that tell stories of courage, connection and creative freedom.
FEATURE INTERVIEW:
How did you get started in the world of art?
When I was young I drew because I could never find the right words and those feelings had to go somewhere. There has always been a constant stream of creativity but I especially fell in love with painting as a teenager. I am still more comfortable exploring my feelings that way. I don’t think that will ever change.
Being British, how does your culture of origin still live on in your work?
I love the British DIY punk mentality. I am naturally drawn to that freedom within my work and my brand, it’s something I always go back to, not for the aesthetic really but as a reminder to say “fuck it”. Do what you connect to and like minded people will find you.
At what point did you realize that your personal point of view would be the center of your artistic expression?
My artwork is like a diary. I can look at the hundreds of paintings over decades and tell you what was going on in my life when I made them. I make work quite selfishly, it feels good when people see themselves in it.
What role does fashion play for you as a means of emotional or even political expression?
Fashion for me is something to express myself . I know what I like and I know how it makes me feel. I dress for myself, and sometimes for my husband.
When you start a new piece, what guides your emotion, aesthetics, and ideas?
I paint or draw something every day as a way to clear my head. The style kind of flows from one to the next until I get excited by a new idea or mistake and I let that take over for a while. I usually save the larger pieces for when I have something that sparks it.
Is there a work of yours that you consider to be more revealing of your personality?
My more abstract paintings. Definitely.
How do you see the relationship between art and fashion evolving in the coming years?
Only when there is new artwork to pull from does the clothing design start. I am not interested in pattern making. The art has to say something to me first and then my husband and I explore what it wants to be. That transformation is really so interesting to me and I think fashion benefits from its proximity to art. Quiet luxury will never make sense to me. You want to be quiet? Great! Not for me.
What inspires you in your daily creative process?
The people wearing my clothes will always inspire me and my husband, he is the biggest inspiration to me.
Is there a piece or collection that represents a key moment in your career? Which one and why?
My first collection means a lot to me. I had just moved to New York and I made it all myself on the living room floor with my husband guiding me. I remember shooting the campaign just out on the street in Queens outside our apartment. I remember talking to my husband after that shoot and saying how excited I was and how I would be happy if I could just make an extra $200 for us a month. It’s sweet to think of how naive that all was. I go back to that day all the time.
Your work has a very strong and emotional identity. How did you develop this aesthetic?
It wasn’t intentional, it’s the only way of exploring my feelings that feels productive.
Your fashion celebrates queer identity in a very powerful way. How do you see the role of fashion in the fight for representation?
People reach out all the time after wearing the clothes. Not about the designs but about how it made them feel. The event they saved it for. How they styled it. The conversations it started. It’s great. We all feel a little nervous when we leave the house and to hear that my clothes contribute to someone feeling more confident will never not be amazing.
What can we expect from your next collection?
I am using a lot more color in my paintings. It’s exciting and I’m sure it will spill over into the clothing. It feels new and exciting, I think I really needed it.
What advice would you give to young artists who want to follow a path like yours?
I am lucky to have a husband who saw the potential and knew how to start and grow a business. I believed in my art but you don’t know what you don’t know. If you can find someone to share your dream, it makes things less scary. Also, be tenacious and be curious especially with yourself. What makes you unique makes you special.
TEAM CREDITS:
Editor-in-Chief: Prince Chenoa
Feature Editor: Taylor Winter Wilson (@taylorwinter)
Brazil Editor & Writer: Leonardo Loreto (@leonardoloreto)
Photographer: Carlos Paret (@paretcarlos)
