Nicholas Daley FW24 Celebrates Jamaican Folklore and Mythology
Titled “Anansi Rhythm,” the collection platforms stories of resistance told by poet Louise Bennett.
Nicholas Daley’s Fall/Winter 2024 collection champions Jamaican folklore through the lens of lauded poet Louise Bennett. Titled “Anansi Rhythm,” the collection centers the celebrated bard’s traditional Jamaican bandana dress — a reclaimed design that symbolizes “unity” and “defiance” — as a hero motif.
Anansi the Spider is a central character in Ghanaian mythology that represents the “rejection of domination and a connection to lost West African traditions,” per Daley’s collection notes. Bennett’s words echo Anansi’s cultural pride to a younger Jamaican audience, through the island and across the larger diaspora. In this collection, Daley pays tribute to his Jamaican ancestors’ spoken-word traditions through stylistic symbolism.
The aforementioned Jamaican bandana was originally crafted by the British to clothe enslaved people in the Caribbean; however, it was later reclaimed by Jamaican people in the post-war period and now exists as a strong pillar in the island’s national dress. Here, the emblematic cloth becomes the basis for Daley’s color story, which majorly consists of deep burgundy, bright red, navy and black.
Scottish mill Lochcarron, a longtime friend of the brand, aided in reimagining Dale’s tartan as a madras in three iterations: rich mohair wool on ponchos, homage-making flannel on two-pocket shirts and pure lambswool on fringed kilts and bomber jackets. The designer’s madras also plays a crucial role in next season’s Clarks collaboration, which utilizes the flannel textile to strike color onto laces and sock liners.
Elsewhere, all-black signatures, including boxy ’70s-inspired coats, corduroy shirts and denim pants, contrast vivid knitwear silhouettes, like argyles and merinos. Rounding out the range, jacquards return, referencing Malis Bògòlanfini cloth on outerwear and structured bottoms.
See Nicholas Daley’s Fall/Winter 2024 collection in the gallery above, and stay tuned to Hypebeast for more coverage from the season.
