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Premal Patel, founder of fashion brand Runaway the Label, has been lauded as a path-breaker for Australia’s Indian diaspora following his death at the age of 47.
The entrepreneur, who launched his first clothing business from the boot of his parents’ Volvo in Sydney aged just 22, died on December 14.
Premal Patel, founder of clothing brand Runaway the Label, who died this month
Runaway the Label, launched in 2014, grew into a high-profile Australian apparel brand and achieved international success, especially in the United States.
Patel’s clothes have been worn by Bollywood starlets and social media influencers, but can also be found at Sydney nightclubs, suburban parties and school formals.
In November Patel revealed on social media he had been hospitalised with lung problems. Only a month later, Runaway the Label said in a statement he had “passed away peacefully” after a brief illness.
“While the legacy Prem created will live on, the world feels a little less bright without him,” it said.
Clothing industry figures, admirers and customers have expressed shock at Patel’s death. Fellow designer Alex Perry said: “Rest with the highest, my friend.”
Patel was born in Sydney to Indian-origin parents and grew up on the city’s north shore. He started work in the fashion industry after leaving Trinity Grammar school.
In an interview with the Herald published in 2010, Patel said he decided to start his own business after getting fed up with an overbearing boss.
“It was very tough at first,” he said at the time. “It involved a lot of cold calling and doorknocking to slowly build up the business.”
Patel first founded menswear brand Premonition, which had stores in Paddington and Newtown, and later diversified into women’s apparel and launched Runaway the Label.
Premal Patel, founder of clothing brand Runaway the Label
The firm, based in the Sydney suburb of Sydenham, now employs about 80 staff and recently launched a US warehouse and logistics centre in Texas.
Social media posts have shown Bollywood actors Kareena Kapoor, Ananya Panday, Alia Bhatt and Shanaya Kapoor wearing Runaway the Label outfits.
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Jai Patel, a partner at KPMG Australia and Premal Patel’s cousin, said Premal “broke the mould” of what was expected of young people in Australia’s Indian community.
“While many pursued traditional education and career paths, Prem carved out a remarkable journey in the Australian and global fashion industry – succeeding entirely on his own terms,” he said.
“He was a leading example of diverse Indian-origin innovators and entrepreneurs who are generating new opportunities and an expanded future for Australia.”
The Indian diaspora is Australia’s fastest-growing migrant community; in June 2024, there were 916,330 Indian-born Australian residents, second only to England, Bureau of Statistics figures show.
Jai Patel said savvy use of digital technologies had helped make Runaway the Label a global brand.
“Premal understood that marketing, social media, and e-commerce were central to modern fashion brands, using them to drive scale, engagement, and global reach,” he said.
An event celebrating Premal Patel’s life will be held on December 29 at Doltone House in Pyrmont.
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