Born - Patrick Holmes 1964 in a the small town of Paducah Kentucky, Patrick begin his journey at the age of twelve - having held fabric and a sewing needle at the age of five - he was a natural. He spent hours in his bedroom absorbing the sewing directions -like a sponge to water- after his mother brought home a sewing machine, which she purchased at a yard sale for $15, along with a box of fabrics and patterns one Saturday afternoon. Patrick taped the pattern instructions to the wall over the machine and spread the patterns out over the fabric onto the floor. He had always imagined a day when he would no longer have to wear second hand clothing, and the next morning, that day had finally arrived. Patrick came down for school wearing an outfit he had made overnight. His mother was so amazed at his accomplishment, since Patrick had never sewn with a machine, or even been taught how to use one. When the box of fabric was empty Patrick removed the curtains from his bedroom window and continued to make his own clothing from whatever he could find. Soon he began taking his second hand clothing apart at the seams and reconstructing it into new silhouettes and embellishing the surface of the garments with his signature and renderings using permanent markers. It wasn't long before he attracted the attention of neighbors, and his mothers employer, who put him to work. He tailored his first suit for his mothers boss at the tender age of twelve, and even though it wasn't the best craftsmanship in th world, his mothers boss wore it boastfully. When he was his eighteenth a neighbor invited him to attend the Kentucky Derby - along with his summer short outfits - where he sold out 15 sets in less than an hour.
At the of age 27, Patrick was hired as a sewing machine operator for a LEVI's jeans manufacturer and was the only male seamstress of 215 woman. He was such a fast study, and proficient in operating any machine he was placed on, that his employer created a position for him - with special pay - as a 'Sewing Specialist'. Eventually that position came to an end when his employer had to close the doors of the factory due to overseas contracts.
Unfortunately, as a high school drop out of the 80's - and with no other skills or a desire to do anything else, it was very difficult to find work. So, he attempted to launch a clothing line of his own, but soon realized that it wasn't that easy without working capital. Patrick decided to pursue a formal training in order to make his dreams of becoming a fashion designer a reality.
Patrick packed up his sketches, and sewing machine, and hitched a ride south to Atlanta Georgia where he studied Fashion Design while living in a shelter, and working for the GAP. Due to the cost of college supplies, and minimum wage, Patrick often returned to the shelter after 16 hours of studying and work - hungry. With the holidays nearing, he found himself missing his mother who he had not been able to visit in over 4 years. As the middle child of three - and the first to ever attend college, he wanted to share in this experience with his mother who barely had a 5th grade education. Then one day an idea came to him when he saw two shelter employees discarding damaged clothing that had been donated to the shelter. He salvaged those garments that were made of cotton, wool and denim, and used them to make hats. Every night after work, he would finish his school projects and then turn his attention to putting the finishing touches on the hats. On the tips of the hats where cloth covered buttons that read - (Just Patreq) - a name suggested by a Stephen Minister at the shelter. The hats sold quickly, and eventually he dad made enough money to eat everyday, and go home to visit with his mother. Within three months he had manage to save a little more than $3000.00 - which he planned to put toward launching a small clothing line after graduating from college.
Tragically, On April 4th 2003, Patricks mother past away. He reluctantly made the trip home only to find that her insurance had elapsed. As a last gester to honor his mother, he had his savings wired to the funeral home and lay his mother to rest. Devastated, he left the shelter and with what little he had left in his account, he isolated himself in a tiny hotel room, with his sewing machine, some fabrics he purchased for school projects and his sketch pads - and drowned his mourning in alcohol. He did not return to work and eventually stopped attending classes. Everyday he would crawl out of bed, have a piece of cold chicken for breakfast, and began to cut and sew - much like he did when he was twelve. Three weeks later a call came, and just in time, considering he was completely penniless and the hotel rent was due.
It turned out that, the hat venture months earlier, created a buzz that caught the attention of several local boutiques. Patrick was invited to showcase his work in a fashion show for up-&-coming designers. The reception was so great that he secured accounts with seven local specialty boutiques, and was interviewed for WWD Atlanta (Aug/2003/Holiday-Resort Supplement) due to the overwhelming demand for his line of colorfully textured, and often daring, creations.
Though Patrick was closer to his dream than ever, something kept pulling at his very soul, 'this - is just a trial run, this can't be it, there's more, I just know it', he thought.
Patrick donated all that he owned, including garments from his last collection, and boarded a plane to New York City on December 14th 2005. He currently lives in the Bronx. He is studying Fashion Design Art at the prestigious Fashion Institute of Technology, and hopes to grace the runways at Bryant Parks - New York Fashion Week - within the next few years.
Finally regained my life and now I am soaring at age 45...the best is yet to come.
Most Memorable Moment:
There was a time when I was living in a shelter while going to school, and some nights I would go to bed hungry before I would go without school supplies. I hadn't seen my mother in almost 5 years at this point because I just couldn't get away from work or had the money to go visit with her. So, put my talents to work and produced hats and sold them wherever I could, in an effort to raise the money to go home and see my mother during the holidays. The staff at my college heard of my situation and was so moved by my strength and determination - all things considered, and they each - about 27 staff members - purchased 2 or more hats. I was able to go home that year to see my mother - just before she past away three months late.
High School: Paducah Tighlman in Paducah, KY
class of 1982
Activities & Accomplishments:
I dropped out of school when I turned 16...and I do not regret my journey at all.
Best Memories:
My best memory was with my high school sweetheart under the bleachers after the game.
