Fashion designer Patrick Robinson is clearly not afraid of change. In a past life he designed for Giorgio Armani, Anne Klein, Perry Ellis, Paco Rabanne and Gap and was considered one of the most distinctive and talented designers in fashion. But Robinson was not afraid to make needed changes in his design life that reflected his personal beliefs. Although it was a slow steady evolution, the pandemic put a spotlight on fashion’s excesses and compelled many to question the insane pace of the seasonal fashion merry-go-round. Customers saw through the manipulation fashion brands, magazines, designers and all who were complicit in the ruse to get people to spend money on unnecessary items. Robinson responded to the changes he was feeling and seeing with Paskho, his label of sustainable travel worthy basics. No flashy shiny looks here—just easy breezy pieces that allows for a rich life outside of self adornment—the kind of pieces that allow you to shine, not your clothes. Robinson put a lot of thought into the engineering of Paskho using sustainable fabrics and produced mostly in Hudson New York by his local community, which keeps the jobs where they are needed instead of outsourcing.
Born in Memphis Tennessee, but raised in LA and Orange County, Robinson was a surfer dude who at an early age of 14, created his own line of beachwear. He studied fashion design at Parsons School of Design in New York City and afterwards he moved to Paris to assist with designer Patrick Kelly. Shortly afterwards he moved to Milan to work with Giorgio Armani. His early successes hit one after the other transforming the brands where he worked. In 2005 he moved to Paris to become the Creative Director for Paco Rabanne which was a huge achievement to successfully rejuvenate the name and put it back on the map. In 2007 he was tapped by Gap to revitalize their lackluster sales.
But Robinson is not one sit on his laurels. As he evolved so did his business, with an antidote and a philosophy that is counter to fashion’s excessive cycle. The Paskho label is for a grown-up sensibility, one which fights against fashion’s status quo. Robinson’s illustrious resume at luxury fashion brands has come full circle, allowing him to create clothing that addresses social issues without compromising style and comfort.
