The Toronto Fashion community has suffered a huge loss this week as Canadian designer Pat McDonagh passed away at the age of 80.
Pat McDonagh was born in Manchester, England of Irish heritage and studied at Manchester University and the Sorbonne in the 1960s. During this time Pat made a name for herself through designing costumes for the Beatles and Diana Rigg of the Avengers series as well as modelling and television.
Pat McDonagh is also one of the co-founders of what is currently known as the Fashion Design Council of Canada. Her philanthropic work as well as her contributions to the industry are a staple in the history and future of Canadian Fashion. Spring 2010 marked Pat McDonagh’s 40th year in the fashion business, and she continued to produce two full collections each year.
We first met Pat at a fashion show being held at a Toronto club where she shared her designs as we photographed and asked her questions on the collection. We were a new blog then and were nervous about interviewing a designer, but Pat was very warm and welcoming. Answering all our questions with a smile on her face, she made us more comfortable with the whole experience. Pat was one of the first industry people we got to know while starting Toronto Is Fashion, she was a great woman and will be dearly missed.
