Joe and Charlie Casely-Hayford shot their new lookbook amidst the decadence of a private estate in Kent – a grand setting following the grand ideas of sub-cultures and grand-full-stop high society that informs their collection.
"British culture is at the core of our design, it’s always important that there is the connection between the two. We’re interested in the discordance of forcing them together," Charlie explains of their design philosophy.
Looking at how British street style consistently redefines sportswear, and the integration of sportswear into our everyday wardrobes, their SS13 collection includes a voluminous silk parka and a varsity shirt; familiar icons decontextualised. Whilst the signature Casely-Hayford suit with cropped trousers and boots is a direct nod to the idea of the sartorial skinhead.
"The fruit salad print came about from my dad and I watching 90's Youtube clips of rave one night, from the seminal Haçienda club in Manchester," Charlie continues. "We loved the way the clubbers wore clothes and bright colours which were designed to simply make you feel happy, with no hidden codes or deep concepts, and set about to create our own.
We then sourced a range of traditional Japanese fabrics from small artisans in Western Japan using print, weaving and indigo dyeing. The subtlety of these cloths appealed to us because of their sensibility and rich references in contrast to the fruit salad, the idea of bringing loud and quiet together."
Casting is again important. The father and son designers never use a professional mannequin, preferring to scout talent that can embody their clothes with character. This season the model is a young English actor, whose look segues easily between the worlds they're sampling.
Photography Katinka Herbert
