"Hi my name is Patrick Garvey and I study fashion with knitwear at central saint martins. I am originally from Liverpool but have lived all around the world with my family. My work is influenced by my background coming from an Irish family as well as looking at how I am capable of using materials that are not usually thought of as being typically fashionable to create interesting garments. Recently my work has focused on gender fluidity within cultures which usually condone this. I have used fashion and garment creation to explore and imagine what gender fluid people would wear within different cultures especially that of the traveller community which I have links to. However in the past I have also used mushrooms and flora to make garments that are 100% biodegradable, allowing me to explore new ways of making garments and making materials that will eventually degrade and disappear ; something that the majority of the clothes we wear will not do. Coming from a working class background means that I have to ensure that I spend my money and time wisely, I think that the way in which I have been brought up has allowed me to get to where I am today. For example, the only reason that I was capable of finishing my foundation diploma was by working and also by using compensation money I received from a car crash (which made me want to work harder). Overall, I believe that by coming from a working class background it means that I have thought differently about how I source materials for making garments as well as giving me a fresh perspective in a creative world that is becoming increasingly elitist."