Meet PATRICK CUPID | DESIGNER

We had the good fortune of connecting with PATRICK CUPID and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi PATRICK, how has your background shaped the person you are today?
I am a native New Yorker from the North East Bronx. Growing up in the ’90s, I was exposed to several different styles, sensibilities, and tastes. As a result, my upbringing is full of contradictions. My family originated from the Caribbean and owned a church in the south Bronx. The neighborhood was very diverse. West Indians, Italians, Latinos, Irish, Asians, and eastern Europeans all coexisted harmoniously. You could eat anything from Kosher to curry without giving it a second thought.

My first female influences are all independent women who celebrate their feminity, each a leader in their chosen profession. Fashion was all around me, and it was never about a trend. A good friend of the family would experiment with style and ran the rainbow with hair colors long before pink and purple went mainstream.

Television in the 80’s allowed me to watch reruns of old movies and T.V. shows. Sopa Operas were also huge. Spending afternoons watching All my children with Grandma, Dynasty in the evening, and Bette Grabel movies for the Late Late Show. The PBS network was another big factor because it offered world culture, history, foreign film, and the classics.

I loved anything to do with history and fantasy. So I buried my nose in books on theology, mythology, comics, sci-fi, fairytales, nature, and encyclopedias. I wanted to understand the worlds I read about or experienced in film. These all put a great emphasis on clothing.

Now I see the fruit of all these experiences in my brand Patrick Cupid. It is not just my love for designing beautifully crafted clothes; it has also affected my approach to design. So much research goes into every collection, and each concept focuses on individuality. As an adult, I have encountered many artists in my travels who influence my print style. When I design, I don’t think about just one woman. Instead, I focus on a common idea shared between many.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Patrick Cupid is a contemporary designer fashion brand that plays the formality of elegance against the ease of elevated sportswear, enveloping a cosmopolitan instinct. The first collection, “All in Jest,” started a conversation around independent style without social restrictions. The brand tells a story of independence and evolving culture through clothing, seamlessly translating from professional to social. Each collection features a custom print designed to emphasize the seasons’ concept’s philosophy.

I have a lateral approach to design rooted in the brand’s ethos and desire to shift away from one of fashion’s most environmentally damaging aspects: overconsumption! Focused on quality and responsible design practices, I produce in New York using locally sourced materials—a process made possible through standing partnerships with domestic small business contractors. I first create and package everything from design concepts to tech packs. The re-purposing of fabrics within ensuing collections cuts development costs’ reduces waste, and further advances the seamless integration of cross-seasonal merchandising.

I was born and raised in the Bronx, but have worked and traveled in several foreign cities, including; Paris, Milan, Shanghai, Mexico, London, and Bucharest. Relationships within these cultural centers revealed specific; commonalities in contemporary lifestyles, unearthing a “semi-style” of dressing that doesn’t belong to one group or demographic. Combining the understated elements of luxury and leisure fashion reveals a genuinely individual aesthetic. As a result, I’ve created a clothing brand that suits any social environment with garments that effortlessly blend into the wearers’ unique wardrobe. The Patrick Cupid brand is a true embodiment of my passions.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
New York is a world unto itself, the cornucopia of America. There is so much here to choose from. Within a week, we’d see the city from top to bottom. Saturday would be brunch at Harry’s Steak House in the financial district, followed by a walk from the seaport through Soho into Greenwich for pastries, shopping, and dinner at Caliente Cab or pizza at Stella’s on 9th Ave in Chelsea before heading to the Ruben Museum to explore some art. Sunday Brunch again at Settepani in Harlem; you must have the pannacotta French toast, my favorite spot in all of Harlem. From there, a stop at Nilu, where they can stock up on gifts for loved ones back home, then down through Central Park and on to Met. The first exhibit is Egypt. It is so well-curated, and I love seeing the faces of friends who have never been. It’s a great place to spend the day full of inspiration and fun time out, especially during the rain. As evening approaches, we’d head back to Harlem for pizza at Sotto Casa, then cocktails at Sugar Monk.

Monday would be spent cycling down the Hudson and over to East Village for eats and atmosphere, then to Lower East Side for the Tenement Museum and art galleries and end with some way off broadway play. Tuesday, assuming I have the week off, which never happens, would be an evening out. A Broadway show, pretty much anything we can get at Tix, then to Empanada Mama in Hell’s Kitchen because it is the best in the city: Wednesday Bronx Zoo or the Botanical Gardens, and seafood at the pier on City Island for dinner.

Thursday on the Metro North and up to the Dia in Beacon, followed by dinner someplace local. Friday, we’d stay local to Harlem primarily to rest before heading back up to Rye Playland to switch things up.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
CFDA Pedro Maccise My best friend and biggest cheerleader
Coert Bruel my Business partner who believed in enough to back me
Vincenzo & Julien
Julot
Paul and Dina Cavaza of Create – A- Marker
Ramdat from R & C Apparel
Nobel Tex Knit Wear
Mentor Ian Phin of Rohka Italy
Xavier Raspiengas
Ty Mc Bride Intentionally Blank
Antony Hawman & Lauretta Roberts
Lorraine Ablow
The Team at Lucky 33 Sample

Website: www.patrickcupid.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/patrickcupid

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/p-cupid

Twitter: www.twitter.com/patrickcupid

Facebook: www.facebook.com/patrickcupid

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@patrickcupid8253