 In 2002 he got into what "The Guardian" described as a 'tiff' with Nicholas Coleridge.After Coleridge criticised fashion editors for being too negative about British fashion, McDowell accused him of being jingoistic.Alongside his work for "The Sunday Times" he continued writing books on the modern fashion industry and biographies of noteworthy designers, including John Galliano, Manolo Blahnik, and Ralph Lauren.