The spotlight is set to shine on Liverpool-born designer Steven Stokey-Daley, the maverick behind the acclaimed label S.S. DALEY. With a fresh and innovative perspective on fashion, Daley has been announced as the second guest designer at this prestigious event Pitti Immagine Uomo 105, set to take place from January 9 to 12, 2024. This is a well-deserved honor for the young talent who has been making waves in the fashion industry with his unique vision and bold storytelling.
“Steven Stokey-Daley transforms the British Upper Class into a Queer fashion fantasy. Despite his youth, Steven’s project is characterized by an expressive maturity, an amused and eccentric reinterpretation of British Heritage, an indifference to gender stereotypes and a commitment to sustainability.
We love his talent for revising the archetypes of menswear, the uniforms of the most exclusive British high society public schools, capturing the signs of the times and extravagantly subverting everything with a subtle irony, playfully amplifying the volumes of his garments, fooling around with the details, working with unexpected fabrics and floral prints. Then there is the almost literary character of his visions that recall the incurably eccentric characters with impeccable manners in Evelyn Waugh’s novels.
He is certainly no stranger to adventure, this well-educated boy from Liverpool: from his success in dressing global popstar Harry Styles to the prestige of the LVMH Young Fashion Designer prize. Inviting Steven to Florence means dedicating another adventure to him that will be shared with the international audience at Pitti Uomo. Giving him an opportunity to showcase his stories and project them towards the future.”
— FRANCESCA TACCONI, Special Events Coordinator at Pitti Immagine
Steven Stokey-Daley’s journey in the fashion world is nothing short of remarkable. He founded his eponymous label S.S. DALEY in 2020 after graduating from the University of Westminster, and in just a short span of time, he has established himself as a trailblazer in menswear. What distinguishes him from the crowd is his commitment to breaking boundaries and redefining traditional systems.
S.S. DALEY has not gone unnoticed in the fashion world. His first runway show at London Fashion Week, made possible by the British Fashion Council’s NEWGEN initiative in September 2021, was a monumental step in his career. His most recent Fall/Winter 2023 collection, a poignant exploration of Queer identities through nautical references, even featured the esteemed Sir Ian McKellen. With such influential endorsements and a fresh perspective on fashion, Daley is poised to make a significant impact on the menswear scene.
