A new menswear collection has been launched at London Fashion Week, inspired by jazz. Young designer Nicholas Daley began his creation after finding harmony between two contrasting images: one of a Scottish Shetland farmer wearing a tweed baker boy hat and a one of Miles Davis taken almost 100 years later, wearing the same style of hat.
The collection takes its name ‘RED CLAY’ from Freddie Hubbard’s 1970 soul-jazz fusion album, a significant record which Daley cites as a long term influence, alongside classic Blue Note record sleeves, which he has developed into knitwear styles working with the Scottish knitwear company William Lockie. He has also developed bespoke herringbone tweed with fabric mill Lovat.
Yesterday, contemporary jazz artists Yussef Dayes, Mansur Brown, Alfa Mist and Shabaka Hutchings all performed a live set wearing the designs. Speaking to Tim Garcia, Daley said: “It’s not just about what I’m doing, it’s about appreciating the craftsmanship creatively and musically, whether it’s my fabric developed in Scotland with all the knitwear taking colours from the Blue Note album covers, or the craftsmanship of what these guys [the musicians] do – I’ve got so much respect for them and I’m honoured that they were up for it, their jam brings such positive vibes.”
