Carlisle mayor’s robe to be restored by designer who dressed Lady Gaga

A designer who has dressed Jay-Z and Lady Gaga is to restore a mayor’s robe so it can be put on display.

The Charter Trustees of the City of Carlisle recently decided to replace the 45-year-old garment at a cost of more than £12,000, and put the original on display.

But Lee Paton offered to repair the robe and create a replica for £3,500 less, which he said would be a “privilege”.

“They’re small pieces of civic history and they deserve to be treated as such,” he said.

The designer spent two decades working in London, in areas such as Saville Row, but moved back to Cumbria in 2021.

During his career, he has produced ceremonial pieces for the Royal Family, pop star Paloma Faith and dancers for the Bolshoi Ballet and the Royal School of Ballet in London.

Restoring the robe will be the first job for Mr Paton’s new Newbiggin-based business, Godener.

He said he hoped to be able to involve local fashion students from Carlisle in the repairs.

“It’s important to keep the old one and display it, which I believe is their plan, showing all its battle scars,” he said.

“It’s been repaired so many times over its lifespan.”

Councillor Jeanette Whalen, the Mayor of Carlisle, said repairing the existing robe would allow a piece of the city’s history to be “displayed safely”.

Trustee member Robert Betton had initially called for the cost of the repairs to be reduced but said it was great Mr Paton had agreed to do the work.

He said it was good the money would be going to a local business, not to a firm which was “down south”, and would be carried out by someone with experience.