This month, Kevin Kelway shines the SPOTLIGHT ON: the independent fashion designer embracing international opportunities.
Kenyan born designer Patriciah Petrie and her business Glamour Icons is known as the Queen of ecliptic designs, and especially for the colour of the international fabrics used in her collections. But since the great global lockdowns of Covid-19, she has spent the time looking at a new range of beauty products to sell in the UK and overseas markets.
Mrs Petrie, said: “Global fashion and accessories are worth over £2 trillion every year, and like every other business industry are looking at retraining to the new normal post-Covid-19.”
“Designers and consumers around the world are looking at more sustainable and wearable items, making less waste, and workers being treated fairly,”
“I spent my time during the lockdown making face masks for the NHS and care sectors, and recently launched a new range of designer masks that are being snapped up online by overseas customers.”
“I have been working on an exciting new range of homemade beauty products for the hand, face, and body skincare lotions to sell in the UK and in foreign markets.”
“Many people believe that fashion, accessories, and beauty ranges must come out of London, Paris, and New York to be chic. Well, we have quite a designer sector in the South West – and now looking to export our creative products in the global village,”
“We are on the cusp of a new chapter in the international fashion sectors, and small is beautiful. Consumers and designers are getting the chance to stitch back an industry working in our communities that are stronger, more artistic, and especially tailor-made,”
Patriciah explained; “Until the Covid-19 shutdown earlier this year, my business was doing very well and was marketing our new range of African design fabrics across the globe. We are entering a new era of challenges, but I’m positive and upbeat about the future.”
“As a designer for 7 years, I’ve had time during lockdown to stop and look at what I’m doing, and really owning what it means for my business to be sustainable in the global marketplace.”
“Fashion, accessories, beauty products, and the manufacture of our creative designs, for the first time in decades, we have a real chance to own what it means to be sustainable, and to export our creativity to global consumers – and being small and bespoke, is now the new vogue in overseas markets and its exciting,” she added.
For more information about Patriciah and Glamour Icons, contact Kevin Kelway below: