Patrick McDowell, the British brand in sustainable luxury fashion, has announced a new collaboration with Sparxell, the world-first, nature-inspired colour platform technology company, making dyes with plant-based cellulose. With this collaboration, Patrick McDowell becomes the first brand to integrate Sparxell’s cutting-edge innovations into fashion and in this scope, it was unveiled a couture printed gown and a commercially available shirt dress. The collection making its debut at Future Fabrics Expo 2025, is a significant example for shaping the future of luxury as well as mainstream fashion towards sustainability. The company also realized another sustainable project with its latest capsule collection in cooperation with leading brands, including Kipaş Tekstil.
Cellulose’s meet with technology opens up new door in sustainable dying
Founded by University of Cambridge scientists Dr Benjamin Droguet and Professor Silvia Vignolini, Sparxell replicates the vibrant colours found in nature using plant-based cellulose.
Cellulose rich sources such as wood pulp provide the building blocks of Sparxell’s pigments and glitter. The core crystalline part of cellulose is extracted from these sources and dispersed into water randomly. After prepping the cellulose crystals in water, they self assemble from a chaotic (isotropic) configuration into an ordered (cholesteric) state upon drying. Using the patented technology, the densely packed crystals then form a film that reflects light and colour over a large area. By controlling the interactions between the crystals, the cellulose film can be tailor-made to match a specific appearance.
Engineering the self-assembly properties of cellulose, they can mimic the same specific vibrant hues found in nature and achieve endless other variations of colours and effects. The pigments are available in various sizes, from fine microscopic pigment powders to glitters, sequins and larger films. In addition, the high-performance, biodegradable colourants are free from plastic and toxic chemicals.
“It opens up entirely new creative possibilities”
Patrick McDowell, Creative Director and Founder said that this is about making sustainability tangible; “One piece shows what’s possible at the highest level of craft, the other makes that possibility part of everyday life.”
“What excites me about Sparxell is how they’re advancing what’s possible in responsible luxury. Their plant-based pigments and plastic-free sequins are exceptionally vibrant yet completely non-toxic and biodegradable. It opens up entirely new creative possibilities,” McDowell added.
The collection showcases Sparxell’s innovative colour technology across multiple applications. McDowell’s couture gown features two distinct shades of Sparxell’s signature blue – a sophisticated matte finish and a brilliant shimmery effect that captures light through structural colour rather than traditional sparkle materials, otherwise derived from synthetic dyed plastics or mined metals and minerals. The collection also includes a bag crafted from NUVI’s next-gen material made with a coating containing Sparxell’s shimmers. These represent the first commercial shades that Sparxell is launching to market, with additional colours already available for early adopter brands.
Patrick McDowell collaborates with Kipaş Tekstil in their latest capsule collection
Patrick McDowell also made another sustainable collection with the collaboration with the global brands including Kipaş Tekstil. The latest capsule collection focused on British Craftsmanship and innovation in materials and each look is created with materials from Circulose, a material made by recycling cotton from 100% discarded textiles.