LC: M with Paul Costelloe

Amid the manic, madness and mayhem of the Mens Collections in London, at the adopted home of the BFC The Hospital Club on the second floor we met with the inimitable Irish designer Paul Costello to find out how the industry is changing and what the Collections is doing for London's stake as the home of menswear.

Q: As someone who has been in the industry for over 30 years, how has LC: M changed the market?
Paul: London's Menswear Collections has been running for four seasons now, I think it will become more relevant and I think it's a wonderful opportunity for British designers showing British fabrics and promoting British makers. It's still quite small, and it is clashing with Pitti, maybe we could sort out the dates a little better but I think it's a special place, that's what I'd call it at the moment, special.

Q: What prompted your decision to join the Collections?
P: Well number one, it's quite reasonable which does help if you're a small menswear design company. Number two, the standard here is exceptionally good compared to ladieswear it's of a very high quality I think that's wonderful. Menswear people are very unique they're not here today and gone tomorrow it's a greater commitment, it takes a lot longer to be a success and there's just a wonderful atmosphere. There's also a great loyalty among male customers in that once someone establishes a relationship with a retailer, it lasts and that is very comforting.

Q: LC: M promotes London as the home of menswear, would you agree with that sentiment?
P: I do I think you have to go back to Victorian times, characters like Sherlock Holmes, men's fashions have dominated it's history. Also the wonderful mills in the North of England, Yorkshire, i's a great tradition, a lasting moniker of the Empire, it's in the country's DNA.

Q: Having worked in France, Italy, New York & Dublin, why did you choose to settle in London?
P: I settled here because I have a large family and I wanted to give them a bigger picture of the world when I was living in Dublin. It's OK being the big fish in a small pond but I prefer being the small fish in a much bigger pond.

Q: What's next for Paul Costelloe?
P: We're looking at (expanding) China, we're launching in Australia at the end of February with David Jones and that will be our first time in Australia so, the eastern continent.

Q: Can we expect to see you at LC: M in June and next year?
P: Of course, definitely.

We also had a closer look at the AW14 collection which, with emphasis on fabric and colour, is steeped in tweeds and tartans:

A big thank you to Paul for taking the time to chat and to Matt Coles at Chase PR.