Each week we delve into the memories of the City's great and good. Today, iconic 90s shoe designer Patrick Cox, soon-to-be Cordwainer, takes us on a vibrant trip down memory lane in Square Mile and Me.
CV Name: Patrick Cox
Job title: Toad facilitator & Designer
Previous roles: Cobbler
Age: 63
Born: Edmonton, Canada
Lives: Ibiza
Studied: Cordwainers College, East London (now part of UAL)
Talents: Knowing when to leave.
Motto: Tune in, turn on, drop out.
Biggest perk of the job?
I am a one-man company. So I get to do what I want when I want. I answer to no-one. Perfect!
Favourite shoes?
My new magic mushroom embroidered mule. From the latest collection from my brand Doors of Perception.
Coffee order:
Magic mushroom tea or hot chocolate.
Cocktail order:
Diet Coke and a joint. I don’t drink alcohol.
Favourite book:
Tryptamine Palace – everything you might ever want to know about 5-MeO-DMT, the strongest psychedelic known to man. Also known as the GOD molecule. This sacred medicine changed my life.
What was your first job?
I worked in the fruit and veg department of Safeway in Edmonton. A lot of kinky stuff happens in the cucumber aisle.
What was your first role in fashion?
During my first year at Cordwainers college, I designed shoes for Vivienne Westwood’s Paris Fashion Show. It was a surreal moment; suddenly my work was part of something much bigger, and it gave me the confidence to go out on my own.
When did you know you wanted to build a career in fashion?
As a kid in the 70s I was obsessed with disco and Farrah Fawcett from Charlie's Angels. I then moved to Toronto and became a New Romantic and became obsessed with British culture. That introduced me to Vivienne Westwood. I worshipped her!
How does it feel to be a judge at Cordwainer’s Footwear Awards in City of London?
Deeply amusing and slightly circular. I was trained at Cordwainers and let’s say my time there was er ‘a mixed bag’, now I’m back as a judge for the Cordwainers Footwear Awards, so I’ve essentially become the person I was once trying to impress, which is always a worrying sign. Still, it’s a privilege to see young designers at the point where they still think anything is possible.
What’s one thing you love about the City of London?
When I was going to Cordwainers college in Hackney, I’d catch the Tube daily from Hyde Park Corner to Bethnal Green. I remember one day looking across the carriage and seeing a city gent with a proper suit and tie, but with odd shoes on – a brogue on one foot and an Oxford on the other. He was so used to his city uniform he hadn’t noticed when rushing out of the house that morning.
And one thing you would change?
I would eliminate the loophole, which allows big American multinational corporations off the hook of paying their fair share of UK taxes. Tax at source!
How would you rate Square Mile style? Any tips?
It’s improving, but it still leans conservative. My advice would be: start with the shoes. You can wear a classic suit, but a great shoe changes the entire conversation. Don’t be afraid of detail, texture, finish, even a slightly unexpected silhouette.
What’s been your proudest moment?
My Patrick Cox, Wannabe days. The brand went down in history books and defined the late 90s Brit Pop era, building a cult following, which channelled club culture, hedonism and altered states into fashion long before the industry had language for it. My new Doors of Perception brand extends that lineage more explicitly into a conceptual exploration of altered perception, bridging fashion, consciousness and subcultural aesthetics.
And any business faux pas?
For a period I was creative director for the Italian company, GEOX. One day we were sitting in a meeting with the entire design team and the CEO looking at the ugliest sports sandals I had seen in my entire life. Finally out of frustration I shouted: “What is the market for these anyway? Angry German lesbians hiking in the Black Forest?” Silence, you could have heard a pin drop.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever been given?
Be original. Be you.
And the worst?
When I lost my company I was paying hundreds of thousands a year in legal fees. When I asked my solicitors how I got into this predicament, they answered ‘you didn’t ask the right questions’. I rest my case.
Are you optimistic for the year ahead?
Cautiously, yes. With the US midterm elections coming up in November, I am hoping we will get rid of ‘you know who’ at the White House. If not all bets are off. Tax the rich, bring back the guillotine!
We’re going for lunch, and you’re picking – where are we going?
I don’t really do lunch. I’m a basic kinda guy so I’m happy with a chicken burrito and diet coke at Chipotle.
And if we’re grabbing a drink after work?
I actually don’t drink, so how about meet in the park for a spliff?
Where’s home during the week?
Ibiza; the quiet side of the Island. I moved from London almost nine years ago. My London life had become toxic and I needed a dramatic change.
And where might we find you at the weekend?
In the garden gardening, tripping balls on mushrooms. As you might have guessed, I am quite active in the movement for legalising psychedelics.
You’ve got a well-deserved two weeks off. Where are you going and who with?
I spent 30 years of my career non-stop travelling. I have no interest anymore. Home is where my heart is. Preferably alone with my dogs. My faith in humanity has been challenged of late, so my future is more animals; less humans!
