Nicholas Daley presents film to celebrate Black British martial artists at London Fashion Week

The half-Jamaican, half-Scottish designer is revered for exploring multiculturalism within his work
Joe Ridout / Nicholas Daley
Naomi May19 February 2021

As designers across the capital grapple with how to pivot towards another digital-only London Fashion Week format, Nicholas Daley has taken to the format with ease.

Continuing on from the behind-the-scenes video he released last season, the Tottenham-based designer today unveiled the accompanying film to his spring/summer 2021 collection, Stepping Razor, which takes its name from Peter Tosh’s 1977 debut single.

“The film is actually in homage to Peter Tosh, the roots reggae legend and Martial Arts enthusiast,” Daley tells the Standard, “I really feel this way of showcasing the collection adds more authenticity and character to the film. It allows people to connect with the brand in a completely different way.”

Jordan Thomas in Stepping Razor
Piczo

The collection, which is oozing with heritage fabrics and fluid silhouettes, aims to celebrate Britain’s rich history of Black martial artists, and enabled Davey to tap into the world of cult kung-fu movies, from 1973’s Enter the Dragon to 1972’s Fist of Fury. The star of the campaign and its accompanying clip, which was captured on 16mm film by Joe Ridout, is Jordan Thomas, former World and European Champion and Britain’s first Olympic karateka, who was due to represent Britain at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

“I wanted to honour the impact of British Black martial artists and Jordan is a great example of that,” Daley explains, “I also wanted to look deeper than that by honouring and highlighting the different generations that led to Jordan being where he is today. His father William Thomas was a former world and European Karate champion and his mentor Wayne Otto is a world and European champion and one of the most decorated fighters we’ve ever had as a nation.”

Jordan Thomas in Stepping Razor
Piczo

Flowing throughout the collection is the craftsmanship which has come to define Daley’s approach to his collections. The designer forged partnerships with British manufacturers to source material; from a silk-weaving company in Sudbury to a button business based in the Cotswolds, another step to cementing his place as one of Britain’s most exciting design talents.

As Daley explained to the Standard ahead of his film debut last season: "Community, culture and craftsmanship are the three things that really define what I’m trying to say as an individual and as a designer."

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