s for Styles’ tours), was a welcome departure from Stokey-Daley’s more reserved past collections.
Harry Styles’ Investment in S.S.Daley: A Watermelon Sugar High for the Fledgling London Label
When you think of S.S.Daley’s runway shows, you can’t help but picture Harry Styles in flamboyant formals, artsy small tops, cartoonish knitwear, and cute short shorts. And there’s a good reason for that – the superstar singer is not only a fan of the brand, but also an investor. Styles has been backing the fledgling London label for a year now, ever since he wore designer Steven Stokey-Daley’s graduating collection in his “Golden” music video.
The terms of the deal have been kept under wraps since Stokey-Daley first announced Styles’ minority stake after his Pitti Uomo debut last January. But one thing is for sure – Styles’ financial support has given the fast-rising fashioner a major boost in exposure. Stokey-Daley, who graduated from the University of Westminster just four years ago, is now on a watermelon sugar high thanks to Styles’ backing.
Styles, who made headlines for attending Stokey-Daley’s show last season with Anna Wintour, was noticeably absent from the front row of the designer’s Fall/Winter 2025 show in London on Friday. But his influence on the brand’s sartorial direction was still very much present. Inspired by the Scottish Colourists, an artistic group known for their kaleidoscopic depictions of atmospheric landscapes, S.S.Daley’s latest collection featured extravagant shapes, regal tailoring, grandfather patterns, and vivid strikes of color – all elements that define Styles’ famously ostentatious wardrobe.
Styles’ Impact on S.S.Daley’s Latest Collection
Stokey-Daley’s starting point for this season’s collection was painter Francis Campbell Boileau Cadell’s “Iona Croft,” a mid-1920s canvas depicting a quaint home on the west coast of the Scottish island. This waterside cottage scene inspired felted fisherman’s trench coats and matching bags. To a Styles fan, the trawler’s ensemble was an obvious nod to the artist’s “Adore You” music video, where Styles plays a fisherman who befriends a giant bass. But to a fashion fan, the hand-felted constructions of these pieces were a noticeable advancement in Stokey-Daley’s technical skills, perhaps thanks to his bigwig funding.
Elsewhere in the collection, the Scottish Colourists’ brush strokes were evident in the line’s abundant prints. These picturesque prints took over practically every outfit component, from big-shouldered trench coats and form-engulfing gowns to tiny T-shirts and skin-tight skirts. Paired with Stokey-Daley’s frilly button-downs and wider-than-wide-leg bottoms, it wouldn’t be hard to convince someone that stylist Harry Lambert dressed Styles in an earlier version of these vivacious statement-makers for his tour outfits. In fact, Lambert himself styled Stokey-Daley’s show on Friday.
A Bold Departure for S.S.Daley
The audacity of this collection, arguably more akin to the work of Jonathan Anderson (another Styles go-to) than that of Alessandro Michele (who custom-designs for Styles’ tours), was a welcome departure from Stokey-Daley’s more reserved past collections. With Styles’ investment and support, it seems that S.S.Daley is on its way to becoming a major player in the fashion world. And with Styles’ impeccable fashion sense and influence, we can’t wait to see what the brand comes up with next.
