No designer is an island—even if many would likely prefer you to believe their creations are the product of individual genius, rather than the hard work of many. It’s this that makes Nicholas Daley’s genuine enthusiasm for showcasing the input of his collaborators one of the most endearing aspects of his brand. “Highlighting everyone’s input has always been key,” said Daley, after breathlessly reeling off a list of the various artisans and makers who helped bring this season’s vision to life, from custom silks made in Sudbury, to footwear made in rural Ireland, to the bespoke tartans that nod to the designer’s upbringing in Dundee. “Across the world I’ve been building over the years, all of these things are intertwined.”
Despite the wide-ranging cast of characters involved, the resulting collection was as impressively coherent as always. As is so often the case for the music-obsessed Daley, the starting point was an overlooked corner of British sonic counterculture: in this case, the roots reggae scene that bubbled up in the Midlands throughout the 1970s and ’80s, and more specifically, that of the Birmingham band Steel Pulse—who, it turns out, are still touring. Daley is heading to Reggae Land festival in Milton Keynes in a few weeks with his dad, with the hopes of enlisting the band for a future campaign; a handful of new stars to add to his ever-growing constellation of collaborators, if all goes to plan.
Here, the past was channeled into firmly of-the-moment clothes: zip-up jersey track jackets with sporty stripes across their wide collars; charming, pajama-esque checkered linens that you want to snap up immediately in the current London heatwave; and a ton of fabulous accessories, from hand-crocheted bucket hats to sling tote bags tied at the shoulder with a foppish white bow. There were a few cheekier touches in the mix, too, whether a slick, cropped ’70s jacket cut from leather panels of tan and aubergine, or—most delightful of all—leopard and zebra patterns custom-printed onto gorgeous custom silks. Sure, building a brand is a team effort. (What fashion project isn’t?) Yet it’s a testament to Daley’s self-assurance that, even while acknowledging the efforts of those around him, his singular voice is what shines through strongest.
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