Meet Patric Hanley: The Master Of Personalization In The Luxury Industry

In the realm of luxury, personalization has emerged as an art form in its own right — an art that intertwines creative vision, craftsmanship, and individual expression. I first met Patric Hanley years ago in New York, painting for a luxury fashion brand at Bergdorf Goodman, and was instantly intrigued by his extensive experience in the world of luxury customization, finding his footing as an artist in the fashion industry. It was a time when major brands like Louis Vuitton and Coach were building dedicated spaces within boutiques for personalization and a time when the fashion industry began to see customization as another point of luxury. In fact, Hanley first cut his teeth working for Louis Vuitton on 57th Street before his work began to really take off, working with celebrities like Carrie Underwood and major brands like Moynat, Stella McCartney, Filson, and Levi’s.

Photo Credit: Nicholaus Booth

Ahead, Haute Living sits down with Hanley for an exclusive interview to better understand his craft, his work with the renowned Moynat brand, and his goal to further bridge the divide between fine art and fashion through his personal work.

HAUTE LIVING: ​​Can you share a bit about how you got started in the industry? How did you discover your passion?
PATRIC HANLEY: I received my BFA in painting at Kent State University; shortly after graduating I moved to NYC and began hand-painting hard-sided trunks for Louis Vuitton at their flagship on 57th Street in 2015. Since going freelance in 2019, I’ve collaborated and painted with many luxury brands including Neiman Marcus Hudson Yards, Nordstrom 57th Street, Bergdorf Goodman, Stella McCartney, and Levi’s among others. I’ve always maintained a studio practice since living in NYC and have had the opportunity to show my abstract paintings at Elizabeth Taylor’s previous home on 56th Street, as well as Kinfolk in Brooklyn with Roosi, a NY-based art agency.

Photo Credit: Nicholaus Booth

HL: ​​What are some of your favorite projects you have worked on to date?
PH: It’s hard to narrow it down but one of my favorite projects was the opportunity to work with Carrie Underwood for her StageCoach performance last year. I hand-painted a jacket with the theme of “Carrie meets Guns N’ Roses” because she was performing alongside Axl Rose. Another fun project was when I collaborated with Filson, a renowned American heritage brand, to create a limited capsule collection of hand-painted bags sold both in-store and online.

Photo Credit: Courtesy

HL: ​​You’ve been traveling with the esteemed brand, Moynat. What has it been like working with them?
PH: Working for Moynat has been an amazing experience. It is still relatively new to the US market so people are very inquisitive when they see our bags. They have a rich French trunk-making heritage predating LV and Goyard, and the brand offers a “quiet luxury” experience different from other luxury brands. Even though the brand is very old, Moynat has a fresh presence, providing a sense of freedom and opportunity for me as an artist. My goal is to contribute to Moynat’s long history of hand painting and bring something new and younger energy to the house.

HL: Where do you see the world of customization and personalization on luxury goods headed?
PH: Personalization is a huge business in the luxury goods market. Whether it’s high-end cars or luxury watches, customization is everywhere. People want to be different and stand out when they spend money on these items. In the past, fashion was all about custom-made products, but that changed with fast fashion/industrialization, etc. For at least the last 10 years we have seen a huge shift back to personalized offerings in the luxury market. Brands are creating custom everything, from hand painting a bag to customizing a Porsche from start to finish. This trend reflects the desire for uniqueness and individuality in luxury products and I’m excited to see where it goes.

Photo Credit: Nicholaus Booth

HL: What does the ‘art of personalization’ mean to you?
PH: The art of personalization to me means limitless ideas; the client and I have the opportunity to get as creative as possible. One of my favorite parts of working in the customization world is the process of asking questions and brainstorming in collaboration with the client, then coming up with a composition that would only make sense to the person I am painting for. Whether it’s working with Carrie Underwood’s stylist or a Moynat client in-store, they are all just as rewarding and inspiring to me. 

Daniel Arsham and Pharrell are great examples of people who came from a specific discipline and were able to seamlessly transition from one medium to the other — Pharrell is a musician but now is Creative Director of LV, and Arsham studying traditional fine art but continues to work with luxury brands like Porsche and Tiffany. My goal is to also be able to transition my medium to evolve the industry. 

Photo Credit: Courtesy

HL: What are some of your career goals?
PH: In terms of career goals, I’ve always aimed to bring my abstract painting into my personalization work. The shapes and shadows I use in my paintings tend to have a very typographic, almost graffiti-like feel to them. It’s partially intentional but it’s also subconscious; my day-to-day hand painting influences my paintings and I want to lean into that and create work that both audiences can relate to. Maybe it’s me painting my shapes and shadows on a bag or garment, or actually bringing letters into my abstract paintings, I’m not sure yet, but I would love the opportunity to work with and design a collection with a top fashion house, like Moynat, and continue to work with galleries to showcase my abstract work. In the end, my goal is to have gallery representation and to continue collaborating with fashion brands. It is very important to me to have one foot in fashion and one foot in the fine art world, never forgetting that without the experience of hand painting on luxury goods, I wouldn’t be where I am.