Black Martial Artists Inform Nicholas Daley’s FW21 Collection
Expressed through ‘70s cinema and movie soundtracks.
Nicholas Daley has followed up his recent collaborative capsule alongside Lavenham by unveiling the lookbook for his Fall/Winter 2021 “Forgotten Fury” collection.
A continuation of last season’s “Stepping Razors” offering, the British designer once again examines the intersection of black culture and martial arts, as expressed through 1970s cinema and the soundtracks that surrounded that era.
Taking notes from Curtis Mayfield’s work for Superfly and Isaac Hayes’ notes for Shaft, as well as references to RZA and Wu-Tang, hip-hop, funk and soul effortlessly infuse Daley’s FW21 collection with ease, energy and momentum.
When it comes to the garments themselves, Daley continues to impress. Natural Irish linens and durable wax cottons make returns across smocks and shirting, while a bespoke tiger stripe jacquard in “Marine Blue” and violet is arguably the collection’s stand-out piece.
A kimono jacket and beach shirt arrives decorated in Shibori, an eye-catching custom fabric derived from Japanese dye specialists, with nods to Daley’s Scottish roots appearing in the form of tartans, mohair blurs and vintage plaids.
The accompanying lookbook itself remains in theme, enlisting two British taekwondo talents in Lutalo Muhammad and Christian McNeish, both of whom will be aiming to compete at the Tokyo Olympics later this year.
Nicholas Daley’s “Forgotten Fury” collection will be available to buy later this year, from the designer’s online webstore.
In other news, London-based label lorenz has championed the unorthodox with its SS21 lookbook.
