Menswear Designer Nicholas Daley Is Rebranding British Heritage
Since launching his brand in 2015, Daley has been seen to collaborate with musicians and textile merchants alike. By doing so, he questions the notion of multiculturalism within the British identity, exploring and reflecting on his dual-ethnic heritage of being of Jamaican and Scottish descent. Championing his own culturally rich background, outfits are composed and curated from kilts and fishing style vests, baker boy hats and oversized button-down jackets made from bespoke tartan fabric.
““As a designer, as a creative, I feel like I have an obligation to not just do fashion. It’s all about an idea of community that I’m trying to continue and develop””
Photography by Iain Anderson
Portrait by Ollie Adegboye
Placing great importance on craftmanship, Daley has worked with British Mills and tartan makers to create custom made textiles. For his Autumn Winter ‘18 collection, ‘Red Clay’, he created his own bespoke herringbone tweed which he explains as a subversion of the typical Scottish associations of the cloth's heritage. A reflection of Daley’s ever growing themes, his latest collection, “The Abstract Truth”, is injected with references to Afrofuturism, psychedelic jazz and the artwork of Frank Bowling who was a pioneer of the black abstract art movement of the 1970s.
Photography by Iain Anderson
Photography by Piczo
Photography by Iain Anderson
Photo by Fabrica Bourgelle.
Discussing the importance sound has in his life, Daley has discussed how “It would be hard for me to tell the narrative without music - everything is interconnected”, hence his focus of musical partnerships. Working closely with musicians to interject the fashion world with beats from the streets, music is as essential to his fashion shows as the clothes themselves. Each collection made over the past 5 years has been accompanied by mix tapes and live performances from an awe-inspiring line up of contemporary jazz musicians including Yussef Dayes and Alfa Mist. This fusion of music with menswear clothing is evidential of Daley's ever expanding creative practice.
““It would be hard for me to tell the narrative without music - everything is interconnected””
Photography by Piczo
Photography by Piczo
Daley’s commitment to engaging in the diverse cross over of art and culture has allowed him to set a trend of his own; reinventing traditions that are sewn into the fabric of society to celebrate the beautiful harmony of heritages.
You can follow Nicholas Daley on Instagram @nicholas_daley
Words: Bethany Burgoyne
