EMERGING DESIGNER

Patrick Kearse

IN THIS FEATURE: Meet Patrick Fashion Focus

atrick Kearse is a young and extremely talented designer who is not afraid to push the limits of conventional design. His designs span the gamut from sexy to avante-garde, high fashion for the ladies to tailored, well-made suits for men.

A Florida native, Patrick Kearse was born in Fort Myers in 1981 and near the tender age of 10, began to develop an unusual love for fashion. Patrick started devouring fashion magazines, mostly GQ, and recalls perusing the magazines while shopping with his mother.

As his curiosity about fashion grew, Patrick began to gain a deeper awareness of styles and trends, which was further cultivated through watching programs that exuded style and fashion, such as the MTV awards and the Oscars.

By the mid 1990’s, Patrick's love for the fashion world had grown dramatically. His initial foray began within his own closet, when he revamped his own personal style by deconstructing his school wardrobe. "I think bleach was my best friend because I used to bleach my shirts using a paint brush so I could get the shape of what I wanted and not just splatters. I would use nails to embellish my jeans. Sand paper was another big thing for me. Cutting up shirts etc.. Ahhh, those were the days.. I wish I had pictures I could look back on," Patrick reminisces.

After studying the styles found in different magazines and trying to mimic others, he decided to take a different approach from what he was seeing. He started by making his own patterns and would trace the outlines of what he wanted to create, and in turn secured help in sewing the items by enlisting a family friend, who was also a local seamstress. Wearing his own creations led to him being noticed around school for his unique looks.

His first design was a safari type shirt with a lot of non-functional pockets on it. “I got a lot of great feedback on it but as I’m thinking back on it... it was horrible.” "The first person I designed for other than myself was a drag queen named Diamond Dior. I made a very simple, long skirt with a small train and a wrap top. “She” loved it!”

Patrick went on to graduate from the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale with a degree in Fashion Design. Today Patrick's niche has expanded to include not just Ready-To-Wear, but bridal, avant-garde, and footwear. Currently Patrick is in the process of creating his own fashion label that will initially feature menswear.