Forget the catwalk, London Fire Brigade staff strutted their stuff on the fire station forecourt when they teamed up with fashion designer Patrick McDowell and photographer Lou Jasmine for a unique London Fashion Week display.
Pride exhibition, featuring members of our LGBTQ+ network goes on display at Euston Fire Station
Staff from across the Brigade were captured in a series of one-off shots staged by Lou and Patrick at Euston Fire Station to showcase Patrick’s new collection in a celebration of the LGBTQ+ firefighting community
The photos went on display as part of a special exhibition, alongside some of the garments from the collection, at Euston fire station on September 18, as part of London Fashion Week.
Patrick, whose dad was a firefighter in Liverpool, said: “The Brigade’s supportive, vibrant and diverse LGBTQ+ community was what made this collaboration such a joy to be involved with.
“As someone who grew up with the firefighting community, it was amazing for me personally to see people in a fire station being so welcoming and open. It shows that things are now moving in the direction they should always have been.”
Lou Jasmine said: “We want everyone to realise that you can be a firefighter and still be part of the LGBTQ+ community.
“Everyone was so excited and so full of energy for the photo shoot, it's been an incredibly heart-warming day.
“My work always has and always will focus on representation. It is so important for marginalised groups to see their narratives portrayed and I feel extremely privileged to have contributed to LGBTQ firefighters seeing themselves represented.”
Natalia Proctor, Chair of the Brigade's LGBTQ+ Network, who took part in the fashion shoot, said: “We want to be representative of the communities we serve, and that includes LGBTQ+ communities.
“We hope these photos inspire people in the LGBTQ+ community, who may previously have thought that they would not be welcome in a fire brigade, to think again. We want people to be able to come into work and do their job without worrying about hiding themselves, so they can focus on the important stuff - serving and protecting Londoners."
To see more of Patrick’s work visit: https://www.patrickmcdowell.co.uk/
To see more of Lou Jasmine’s work visit: https://www.loujasmine.com