BFC/GQ Fund Winner, Nicholas Daley, Choses Style and Music as his Weapon of Choice
Fashion is composed of talent, dedication, social idealisms, beauty standards, political oppression, rebellion and self exploration. It is well known that it is a very competitive and hard business to break through and even harder for creative and passionate people to make a career out of. As everything else the fashion industry can seem to monopolize who is chosen and who is outcast. That is why it is so important and so amazing that right now more than ever companies are aligning to the much needed diversity change. Not only diversity regarding race or ethnicity but also background, giving an opportunity to everyone no matter their education or social status. Meaning that the sole focus of celebrating someone should be based on their talent and hard work.
Courtesy of Nicholas Daley
The recognition of talent is key to understanding and promoting a new and diverse culture that in return will only enrich all of us.
An example of how the industry pushes and helps new talents is the BFC/GQ Designer Fashion Fund that aims to celebrate exceptional talent and empower businesses through mentoring and funding. The lucky winner gets a cash reward to further help grow their business and exclusive mentorships from industry giants like Kim Jones.
Fashion should inspire purpose and bring together visual aesthetic and humanity. Both ideals that London-based designer Nicholas Daley incorporates to his work. Having graduated from Central Saint Martins he incorporates community, craftsmanship and culture accompanied by a will of presenting diasporic themes. To add purpose, Nicholas works with a range of artisans that help bring value through ethical sourcing for his collections.
Courtesy of Nicholas Daley
Fashion tells a story and represents culture, Daley celebrates his Jamaican-Scottish roots by being drivers that help him explore identity and heritage for his collections.
GQ has named Daley “the most exciting British designer you need to know about”. Having collaborated with mulberry, Adidas and Fred Perry the British designer is well deserving of this year's British Fashion Council x GQ Prize.
Recognized for his Scottish tartans, Japanese and Jamaican-inspired silhouettes, deep red and soft blues compromise the designer's signature aesthetic which he combines with musical elements as inspiration. Always keeping community at the forefront, Daley described in an interview for GQ how he always keeps community and dialogue as a priority when designing and casting.
“It’s about connecting cool people together and making something that feels rich and like a celebration.”
One common thread that binds Daleys work is music. He has expressed how UK subcultures have inspired his work. “Music is an amazing way of expressing my ideas or my beliefs; music and fashion are so intertwined. One enforces the other.” My personal favorite collection is his SS21 “Stepping Razor”, an exploration of martial arts and reggae culture from the 70s inspired by musician Peter Tosh. Daley reimagines the silhouette of the karate Gi (traditional uniform for Karate practice) along with double-pleated trousers, fitting shirts made from his signature heritage textiles.
A collection that encompasses how two different worlds with different backgrounds can come together to celebrate and highlight what makes them so special and fundamental to our culture. Daley has the ability to combine universes and utilize a universal favorite, music, to create designs that are contemporary and revolutionary.