PATREQ HOLMZ
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. One Saturday afternoon his mother brought home a sewing machine, which she purchased at a yard sale for $15, along with a box of fabrics and patterns. Patrick taped the pattern instructions to the wall just over the sewing machine, which sat in its wooden cabinet. He spread the patterns out over the fabric onto the floor, and like a sponge to water he spent hours in his bedroom absorbing every instruction, cut, and seam as he constructed his first pair of pants at the age of 12 years old.
Like so many born into low income families, Patrick had always imagined a day when he would no longer have to wear second hand clothing, and the next morning, he emerged from his bedroom, sluggish from sewing all night, wearing proudly an outfit he had made with his own two hands. His mother was amazed at his accomplishment, since Patrick had never sewn with a machine, or even been taught how to use one. After a few days, the box of fabric was empty. So, 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 them into new fresh looks and creating his own prints 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 the world, his mothers boss wore it boastfully. When Patrick was eighteenth he spent the beginning of Spring producing inexpensive unisex short sets which he sold for $15 a set. When a neighbor saw his ambitious pursuits she invited him to attend the Kentucky Derby - along with 23 short outfits of which he sold out in less than an hour.
By age 27, Patrick was hired as a seamstress for a LEVI's jeans manufacturer and was the only male seamstress of 215 sewing machine operators. He was such a fast study, and proficient in operating any machine he was placed on, that his employer created a special 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 for Patrick to find work. So, he set out to launch a clothing line of his own, but soon realized that it wasn't that easy, having no working capital. After a few more years of trial and error, Patrick finally decided to pursue a formal training in order to achieve his dream of becoming a fashion designer.
A few weeks after his 37th birthday, Patrick located and affordable college that accepted his application. So, he packed up his sketches, and sewing machine, and hitched a ride south to Atlanta Georgia believing that he would have room and board on campus only to be told once he arrived that he didnt receive enough financial aid to stay in the dorms. An upset Patrick went into survival mode and took refuge in a homeless shelter. He started classes and weeks later landed a job at the GAP barely making a little over minimum wage, which went towards school supplies and train fair. Most days he went hungry, and starved as he lay in bed at night. Yet, like clockwork with little sleep, he got up every morning and was one of the first students on campus waiting for the doors to open.
In 2002, with the holidays nearing, he found himself missing his mother who he had not been able to visit in over 4 years because he had very little money to make the trip. 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 the garments made of cotton, wool and denim, and used them to make patchwork 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 given him by a Minister who had become Patricks friend and counselor 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 his clothing line once he graduating from college.
Tragically On April 4th, 2003, at the age of 74, Patricks mother past away. He reluctantly made the trip home only to find that her insurance had elapsed. As a last gesture to honor his mother, he had his savings wired to the funeral home and laid his mother to rest. Devastated, and broke yet a gain, he left the shelter and with his last pay check from work, he isolated himself in a tiny hotel room, with his sewing machine, some fabrics he purchased for school projects and his sketchpads - and drowned his mourning in alcohol and what he loved to do best, make clothes. He never return to his job at the GAP, 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. Just two days before his rent was due at the hotel, his prepaid cell phone rang.
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 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 collected what he could on all his outstanding accounts, donated the garments from his never seen 2006 Spring collection, and boarded a plane to New York City on December 14th 2005. For the first year and a half he lived in a shelter until he was accepted into the Fashion Design program at the prestigious Fashion Institute of Technology, and hopes to grace the runways at Bryant Parks - New York Fashion Week someday.
"I pray that fashion becomes my eternity".
Designer Patreq Holmz.
