Having graduated from the MA Fashion Design Technology (Menswear) program in 2019, Passaro launched his eponymous label in 2020, and continues to blend gender-neutral shapes with the spirit of Parisian couture. The designer shares his journey from architecture to fashion, the reality of running his own brand, and the lasting lessons he learned at London College of Fashion (LCF), UAL.
What sparked your interest in fashion?
In my French high school, I was trying to understand what to do with my life. I was feeling a bit lost because I liked so many things, but I was really inspired by the work of Alexander McQueen for Lady Gaga and Nick Knight’s ShowSTUDIO.
However, I knew that going into fashion would be hard and wouldn’t guarantee a job, so I chose to do architecture instead. I focused on set design for fashion shows and did a visual merchandising internship with Dior, designing their pop-up stores.
At one point, when doing the shop set-ups, I suddenly realised how fascinating and architecturally beautiful clothing is. It’s like architecture for the body. That’s when I decided to switch to fashion — I finished my two-year architecture course and applied all my knowledge to fashion.
Can you tell us more about your journey at London College of Fashion?
It was the best time of my life so far. I was in a new country meeting nice people — in Paris, I’d never found the same feeling of a community. I have so many videos of me working in the studio late and singing with my classmates. Of course, it was at times stressful and difficult, and there was a lot going on in my life, but looking back, I feel so lucky to have done this course before the pandemic and Brexit.
What made you want to start your own brand instead of work for someone else?
It costs a lot of money to start your own brand, so you need to have funding. I was temporarily working for different people to see what the vibe was like in France, but I soon realised that my mindset was not attuned to their ways of organising work within the company.
When the pandemic started, I locked myself in a basement with a bit of fabric and a printer to make buttons and created a collection. I needed to be in that space to be creative because it could have easily been the end of the world.
Then, one thing led to another, and now we’re a team of eight people working across everything. It’s difficult because there are always highs and lows — in economics and politics — but I’m still here and happy to be on this journey.
How did you formulate the ethos of your brand?
It all started when I was at LCF and read a thesis titled “Pleats of Matter, Folds of the Soul” which explored the idea of emotional landscapes and inner projections into reality. This idea is enhanced by the mind, body, and spirit — you’re not a fixed statue, you’re always changing, moving, and transforming. There’s an intended fluidity to it.
People now only care about the “wow” effect, but I don’t like to follow trends. Instead, I focus on what I’m feeling on the inside. My idea is to keep building the brand with every new season and collection, almost like adding a new angle or layer to it. It’s about expressing and getting to know yourself even better.
There are emotions, nature, both minimalism and maximalism. It’s funny to think how even the entire team embodies this energy — we’re very kind, always laughing, supporting each other. It’s a very non-toxic environment, which I’m very proud of. At the end of the day, we’re not curing cancer here, we’re just doing fashion — it’s a privilege.
What does modern couture mean to you?
The luxury market is losing its sense of humanity and authenticity in human relationships. Although we’re a small house, we have clients who come back every season and would travel far just to see us. It’s an honour that they choose us over other big fashion houses.
The business evolves every six months, but after almost five years, you clearly understand who your clients are and why they buy from you. They’re people who love quality and appreciate having a designer tailor their clothing specifically for them. They come to us for the freshness, for the experience of having the creative director deeply involved—having access to your brain and creativity.
For me, this is the new couture—a new experience that still honours the original craft, with hands doing the embroidery, tailoring, and stitching. At the end of the day, it’s still a lot of handwork.
How did your fashion week journey begin?
My first show was at London Fashion Week with LCF. I remember applying for it and finding out I got it just one month before the event. I had no collection, no samples, nothing at all — we made the whole thing in one month. It was work day and night. It was really fun, but also very intense.
I started showing at Paris Fashion Week in 2021, and we’ve been there every year — except 2024 because of the chaos around the Olympics. I’m very excited this season because we have the Ministry of Culture as our partner and we’re going to show outside their building. There’s also lots of international press coming, mostly from Portugal and Brazil.
In London, there is a strong push for younger brands because there aren’t many historic fashion houses. In Paris, it’s a bit harder, but we are slowly yet surely on the right track.
What is it like to run your own fashion brand?
It’s like having 20 jobs in one day. At 10am, you’re a creative director, at 12pm, you’re a cleaner, then you’re a manager, and finally you’re a sales associate. But it’s nice to have teammates, so I get to have my creative time instead of just being on my laptop emailing people all the time.
I try to make time blocks where I focus on only one role. I’m more efficient when there’s no one else in the studio, so I stay after everyone leaves until 10, 11pm, or even midnight. That way I can focus and be much more productive in a couple of hours than in the whole week.
Every day is different. Today I stayed at home because of this interview. I’ll go to my hairdresser in an hour and then come back to do some samples and send emails about a project for a client. Then I’ll check in on the production of the fashion show to make sure everything’s on time. I delegate tasks to the team so they can focus on something else.
What’s something that you learnt at LCF that has stayed with you?
It’s the one sentence my tutor said to me: “If you design something, you need to know how to make it — if you don’t know how to make it, you’re not a designer.” In French, there’s a difference between a couturier, who is someone that makes the clothes, and a styliste, who is someone that only does sketches. In my mind, I’m more of a couturier pattern cutter because I know how to cut, design, and make. In today’s culture, there’s a lot of emphasis on creative vision but often nothing behind the smoke and mirrors. When you have the skills, you can’t deny them no matter what happens.
What are your future aspirations for your brand and yourself?
I would love to be the creative director of a historic house because I find it both interesting and challenging to mix your personal vision with the house codes. I’d love for my brand to grow and open a store in Paris and have one in London at some point — Savile Row would be the dream. And move from presentations to runway shows at Paris Fashion Week.