Steven Stokey-Daley's debut show at London Fashion Week has won rave reviews from the fashion press including Vogue, WWD, Dazed, and i-D. Featuring members of the National Youth Theatre, the show was a meditation on class and privilege inspired by his time at Westminster, where the fashion studios overlook the sports fields of Harrow school.
Steven Stokey-Daley was a final-year Fashion Design BA Honours student at Westminster who showcased their graduate collection at London Fashion Week in February 2020, right before the first lockdown began. After graduating from the programme in June 2020, he quickly caught the eye of Harry Styles, who wore Steven's designs in multiple fashion shoots and his Golden music video. Sir Ian McKellen and Josh O'Connor have also both worn his designs.
Talking to WWD, Steven said: "In the collection, I referenced the British public-school elites. I am a working-class person, but my university was next to Harrow school, which is the second-largest public school in the U.K. The day-to-day traditionalism of that school was so influential to me. Since then, I have been obsessed with picking apart the whole world. The school days, sports culture, the formal eveningwear, intimate dorm, those things."
In her review of his collection, Sarah Mower, Chief Critic of Vogue.com wrote: “[Steven] launched his brand in physical form in fashion week in a way nobody's ever quite done before. The collective sense of youthful optimism, energy, and talent from that stage couldn't have been more real.”
Professor Andrew Groves, Professor of Fashion Design at the University of Westminster, added: “After a challenging 18 months, this show served as a reminder of the incredible power that live theatre can provide in emotionally connecting us. The atmosphere produced by the National Youth Theatre's actors vividly brought to life many of the themes that Steven had been developing throughout his time with us at Westminster. I felt privileged to have been present for such an exceptional start to what will undoubtedly be an incredible career.”
In June 2021, Steven was named a recipient of this year's NEWGEN sponsorship, along with Priya Ahluwalia, Robyn Lynch, and Paolo Carzana, who are all Westminster alumni.
MatchesFashion has already exclusively stocked his debut ready-to-wear collection for AW21, The Robe Room Is Becoming the Garden. Matches' head of menswear Damien Paul told The Financial Times: “I love the way he plays with traditions of uniform. Whether delving into the intimacy and power dynamics of British public schools or sports, especially cricket, he turns the concept of uniform on its head.”
Find out more about Fashion courses at the University of Westminster.
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