Last weekend's London Fashion Week Men's saw major changes at play. Due to the ongoing global pandemic, the event had to follow in Seoul Fashion Week's footsteps and went digital for the first time. But that wasn't the only thing that was different. This season's event has dropped the word "Men's" from its title, signalling the future of fashion that is genderless and therefore more inclusive.
Already setting his foot in the door between now and next is designer Nicholas Daley, who has been dubbed the "future of British menswear" by Esquire. The Central Saint Martins graduate has also received recognition from his peers. Earlier this year, Nicholas was named one of the recipients of the LVMH Prize 2020. Moreover, he has also collaborated with major brands, namely Adidas and Fred Perry.
His stand-alone collections are no less impressive! His Spring/Summer 2020 offering, which was unveiled in January earned him high praises. For this season's LFW, Nicholas chose to premiere a fashion film showing the makings of the Spring/Summer 2020 collection in lieu of a new show.
Directed by Amy Douglas-Morris Benavides and Mathias Karl Gontard, the film is named after Nicholas' Spring/Summer 2020 collection, The Abstract Truth. Capturing the essence of the collection itself, the short is a fusion of Afrofuturism, black abstract art movement from the 1970s and the works of artist Frank Bowler that inspired his designs. Nicholas' Scottish-Jamaican heritage is also a huge influence in his creative process, and the way the tartan patterns blend so well with the string vests and knitwear in the collection is testament to that.
"Ever since my first collection at CSM, I’ve really been exploring what it means to be a British person of colour and trying to use fashion as a vehicle to say something," he says in an interview.
His multicultural upbringing also provided him an opportunity to be surrounded with diverse genres of music, from his mother's Joni Mitchell records to the reggae songs that were playing in his parents’ club. As a result, music always seams into his collections and shows. The Abstract Truth, too, features music by three South London jazz artists—Kwake Bass, Wu-Lu and Rago Foot—who performed live during his Spring/Summer 2020 show.
Watch the fashion film below:
Runway images c/o Nicholas Daley
