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There is nothing subtle about the bold graphics and sensual fits of Patrick Church’s self-titled fashion brand. With design monikers that are immediately recognizable, over the past five years, Church has become a bit of a celebrity in the queer community and the industry at large. We caught up with the Brooklyn resident to ask a few quick questions.
BLNCD: Your roots as a painter and visual artist are evident in the prints of your collections. What kind of process goes into turning a hand-painted illustration into an all around print for a shirt or pair of pants?
PC: It’s a pretty long process, usually me taking a few weeks to create artworks around a narrative that I want to explore. I enjoy telling stories within my artwork and collections. I work with my husband who digitally creates the prints for the fabric, then we work on designing the garment, going back and forth with samples. It takes a while, but is a very exciting journey.
BLNCD: We love the “All Over You” print in your SS21 collection. How has your process on this collection differed from collections past?
PC: I actually developed the All Over You print for my first collection; however, it has now become a sort of monogram, and I like to bring it back in different ways each season. For the last collection we decided to produce it in a series of drops, telling different stories instead of one large collection, and I think going forward this is how we will continue to present our collections.
BLNCD: What is the biggest misconception about the work that you do as a fashion designer?
PC: That people think it is easy and that we have a large team working for us.
BLNCD: Your career has reached a level of sustainability that a lot of young designers dream of. What do you think have been the most instrumental moves, events, or personal ideologies that have helped you get to where you are?
PC: Designing from a very selfish perspective is really important to me and trusting my instincts. It’s really easy to feel like you need to constantly emulate your success so it continues. Rather than focus on re-releasing something that’s popular, I focus on what I personally would wear at that moment in time.
BLNCD: What has been a source of inspiration for you lately?
PC: Recently it’s been a struggle to find inspiration, so I’ve been watching a lot of art documentaries, but I feel a little afraid to pick up a paint brush at the moment!
BLNCD: Much of your brand’s image and customer base is undoubtedly anchored in your relationship to the queer community. Was the plan always to create a brand that is unabashedly queer, or was it something that just happened as a result of who you are?
PC: It’s something that happened as a result of who I am, but is something I am really dedicated to maintaining.
