The emerging designer behind British label SS Daley follows in the footsteps of the Jacquemus creator winning one of fashion’s biggest prizes
Winning the prestigious LVMH Prize for Young Fashion Designers came with a bonus thrill for former aspiring actor Steven Stokey-Daley: Oscar-winner Cate Blanchett presented it to him. The 25-year-old designer behind the label SS Daley was also in the presence of design royalty, as the ceremony was attended by seven artistic directors of houses in the luxury group: Jonathan Anderson, Maria Grazia Chiuri, Nicolas Ghesquière, Kim Jones, Stella McCartney, Nigo and Silvia Venturini Fendi. As for the prize itself? €300,000 in cash and a year’s worth of mentoring from designers in the luxury conglomerate. “The sky’s the limit,” Stokey-Daley says.
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It didn’t take long for the industry to sit up and take notice when Stokey-Daley launched his label back in 2020. Occupying the studio next to musician Harry Styles’s long-time stylist, Harry Lambert, might have helped: Lambert, who is responsible for curating Styles’s glam rock and “soft boy” looks, looked at Stokey-Daley’s 2020 graduation collection.
Although there was no promise that Styles would wear them, several pieces were featured in the music video for his hit Golden alongside items from Gucci and Bode. Styles is seen running on a coastal road in an SS Daley white shirt and standing topless on a rock in the brand’s pleated wide-leg floral trousers—and in the promotional photo for the video, sports the designer’s fabulous hat adorned with dried flowers.