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Great British Sewing Bee judge Patrick Grant: Who is he?
The Great British Sewing Bee is a highlight of our TV viewing – with judges Patrick Grant and Esme Young overseeing 12 ambitious new sewers as they compete to win the coveted golden mannequin.
Series 9 saw consultant breast surgeon Asmaa stitch her way to Sewing Bee glory, beating fellow finalists Mia and Tony with her Met Gala-worthy 'two-in-one dress' in the show's glorious grand final.
Meanwhile, actor Kiell Smith-Bynoe has taken over from Sara Pascoe as host while she's on maternity leave, making his Sewing Bee debut during its 2023 Celebrity Christmas special. Toyah Willcox, Kerry Godliman, Jessica Knappett and Hammed Animashaun competed as they put their twist on a pattern for a Christmas stocking, before turning jackets into food-themed fancy dress for kids and creating outfits worthy of their dream Christmas Day.
Patrick is excited to bring the much-loved series back this spring, revealing that this year's competition will feature the youngest and oldest contestants in Sewing Bee history.
"It’s such a fun and jolly show and the standard has got better and better," Patrick told Prima. "But it delivers some really important messages about finding joy in making your own clothes and embracing your style. We've got the youngest cohort and the oldest contestant we’ve ever had. But once again, they’re all amazing people. They’re so proud that they’ve made these things. Fifteen years ago, there’s no way that this show could have existed."
The 52-year-old designer also shared his delighted at how the show's sustainability ethos has been rubbing off on the amateur sewers, too, as many have been recycling their textiles for the show's Made to Measure rounds.
"What’s really interesting about this series is that for the first time we have a number of contestants who have used old materials to make their Made to Measures without being asked. I think that's an amazing shift in a decade, to think that we’ve changed people’s thinking about old textiles that much."
Patrick is a huge believer in the importance of repairing and rewearing our clothes, and thinks the Sewing Bee continues to change the public's ideas about how much we need to buy.
He previously told the Lorraine show: "We’ve built a fashion model that’s very linear. We make something, we buy it, we use it, we throw it away and it goes in landfill.
“We're encouraging people to go back to something that we all used to do, which is think more in a circle. Everything can be repurposed and fixed, and in our quiet little way I think Sewing Bee has had a very positive influence on people. We’ve actually had a really positive impact on the way people see their clothes."
If you're new to the show or, like us, anticipating its return, we've done a big of digging on its popular judge Patrick to find out a little more about him.
After gaining a Batchelor's degree in Materials Science and Engineering, he went on to study for an MBA at Oxford. He is now the director of the Savile Row tailors Norton and Sons, which he bought in 2005, aged just 33. In addition to his prestigious position, he also owns successful menswear label E. Tautz, which he revived in 2009.
Joining the series in 2013, Patrick Grant is a well-known designer and businessman who currently lives in rural Lancashire, having relocated from London in March 2020.
In 2015, he bought an ailing Blackburn clothing factory and launched a social enterprise called Community Clothing, established with the aim of selling great quality affordable clothing, and sustaining and creating great jobs in the UK's textile making regions.
Patrick makes his Community Clothing at his Blackburn factory, Cookson & Clegg, and his line, he stresses to The Times, "is clothing, not fashion". Its motto is "No Black Friday. No Sales Ever".
His brand is also made in 45 other factories across the UK. Patrick says they make timeless, classic staples that are created to last. There's womenswear and menswear with the ranges including Breton tops, chore jackets, jeans, chinos and lambswool sweaters.
Patrick does believe there's been a positive shift in people's attitudes towards sustainability, previously telling Prima: "People are fixing their clothes and repairing them, and darning is now cool, there is really a big awareness out there now.
"All of the negativity about being poor and wearing old clothes has gone now. It’s totally ok to be fixing clothes and protecting the planet. People need to feel really happy wearing old stuff. We are consuming less material, less high street and there are a growing number of cool young people who have recognised this."
His philosophy is reflected in his shopping habits as he added: "I wear the same stuff all the time, I haven't bought a single item of new clothing this year. My socks are 7 years old, my T-shirt is about 5 years old. I am very lucky. I have a wardrobe of exceptional clothing that I am able to keep wearing."
Patrick is a keen photographer, too, sharing his artistic shots on Instagram which capture the stunning landscape near his home in Lees, and his travels across the UK and beyond.
In July 2022, he was awarded an honorary fellowship by the University of Central Lancashire. He was "recognised for the significant contribution he has made to the British clothing and textile industry, as well as supporting the University at events such as the Leaders in Residence Network Launch," the Lancashire Telegraph reported.
Addressing graduating students, Patrick said: "Follow your passion, don’t follow the money, do what feels great in your heart. Follow a career that you feel you can thrive in, that you have a real passion for because it's going to be hard work but the more you love it the more fun you'll get out of it."
Patrick has also just written his second book Less, Stop Buying So Much Rubbish. How Having Fewer, Better Things Can Make Us Happier, telling Prima: "I wanted to write the book because I feel that we’re living the wrong way. We’ve been conned into the idea that having more stuff is somehow going to make us happier, and actually all the evidence suggests that the opposite is true.
"We’re not prioritising choosing pieces to treasure, which will bring us happiness. We’ve lost all the pleasure in owning and living with good things and having a strong connection to them. It’s time to bring back the joy in everyday objects! Almost everything that we used to have in our lives had some story to it – we need to re-embrace that attitude."
He has also written The Savile Row Suit: The Art of Hand Tailoring on Savile Row.
Series 10 of Great British Sewing Bee returns to BBC One and BBC iPlayer soon.
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