LONDON — Daniel Gayle and James Bosley, the design duo behind the label Denzilpatrick, got a taste of runway adrenaline in the June edition of London Fashion Week last year. Now they’re back with an on-schedule show during the February womenswear showcase.
The designers said the show has been a labor of love. “It’s our own blood, sweat and tears. To be very transparent — it’s challenging. We have to work many other [design] jobs to keep the studio alive and moving,” said Gayle in a joint interview with Bosley.
The pair have received no funding from the British government or the British Fashion Council, but have found sponsors in footwear brands Hoka and NPS Solovair, which has helped them put on a large-scale show.
“We’ve applied for the various funding options that were available, [such as] the competitions, but up until now, we haven’t been successful. We keep on working in other places to be able to keep it moving,” said Gayle.
Bosley added that the brand is ready to scale, and production is in place.
The designers, who are partners in life and work, have accumulated a wealth of experience working for brands such as Alexander McQueen, Maison Margiela, Kenzo and Victoria Beckham.
They’ve used those experiences to make better business decisions.
“We both worked for so many smaller brands, and we’ve watched them struggle and be strangled by growth and cash flow. From the very first season we said that when we develop a garment, it has to be done at one factory,” said Bosley.
An image from Denzilpatrick’s mood board.
Gayle added that the brand is ready to ramp up manufacturing, but is hesitant because of the current luxury climate in Europe and watching sales at the big conglomerates slow down.
They see the show as a way of taking Denzilpatrick to the masses, and their collection puts an emphasis on community.
The designers took elements from the uniforms of speedway riders, a motorcycle sport involving four to six riders, which Bosley’s father was a part of when he was younger.
They added a touch of historical flair borrowing from knights’ armor. There are cropped jackets with quilting in the shape of shields, men’s dress shirts cut on the bias with big French cuffs, and a belted fuel jacket made from recycled nylon. It features a checkered flag pattern found at speedway races.
“We realized that just around the corner from us in New Cross [southeast London] there was the last speedway track in London. It has now been turned into the Millwall F.C. soccer stadium,” said Gayle, who’s happy to be carrying on the family sporting tradition
