S.S.Daley’s headline show at Pitti Uomo 105 on January 11 felt like more than just another presentation, but instead the beginning of a new era for the brand.
The 27-year-old, who was one of two guest designers at this season’s menswear event in Florence, served a spectacle that took a considerable step up from what we’ve seen from the Liverpudlian in recent seasons: it felt mature, fresh, and freeing.
The show’s setting — the historic Salone dei Cinquecente of the Palazzo Vecchio — perhaps had a role to play in its impressiveness, as Stokey-Daley’s British boarding school-inspired looks popped against a stunning backdrop of Mannerist masterpieces.
Drawing on EM Forster’s 1911 A Story of A Panic, the show told the story of a man's trip to Italy with fellow British tourists who, while in a small village in the countryside, are all struck by a sudden and inexplicable panic.
Said alarm soon turned whimsical, as the clothing suddenly became significantly lighter and breezier.
Take the nightshirt, for instance, which was decorated with a painted fish that skimmed the knee, or a yellow fishing coat that had a contrasting suede collar and came with a matching hat.
Prints throughout are inspired by archival patterns from vintage wallpaper finds, such as an ecru tailcoat embroidered with lifted floral motifs.
A different tailcoat then moves in an opposite direction and is decorated with trompe l’oeil to become a trench coat hybrid.
Earlier in the day, S.S.Daley released the news that longtime wearer of the brand, Harry Styles, had become a minority shareholder of the company.
This investment was described as “a natural culmination of a close working relationship” and marks the beginning of a partnership in which Styles will accompany the growth of S.S.Daley.
“Harry and I have a shared vision for the future of S.S.DALEY,” said Stokey-Daley following the news.
“We look forward to this new chapter together as we focus on brand longevity and scaling the business into a modern British heritage house.”
Truth is, the rise of Steven Stokey-Daley was always on the cards.
Ever since he worked on the menswear teams at Alexander McQueen and Tom Ford before graduating with a BA from Westminster Fashion Design in 2020, he’s been on an upward trajectory.
Last year, during his London Fashion Week debut, he delivered one of the most memorable shows when he enlisted Sir Ian McKellen to open by reciting an Alfred Tennyson poem.
That merely months after being awarded the highly-acclaimed LVMH Prize, piping fellows designers like Eli Russell Linnetz, who too headlined Pitti Uomo last season.
Point is, for Steven Stokey-Daley and his eponymous label, the only way is up.
And when you consider just how impressive his showing in Florence was, coupled with Styles and significant investment, it’s hard to say anything to the contrary.
