SEASON meets Nicholas Daley — SEASON zine: Fashion + Football

Words by Felicia Pennant

I’m sitting in a quieter corner of the Paul Canoville suite at Stamford Bridge, the space at Chelsea Football Club’s home stadium dedicated to the team’s first Black player, talking to Nicholas Daley. Nearby, the limited edition Chelsea x Nicholas Daley capsule collection Tied Together that the Jamaican-Scottish-British designer created as another tribute to ‘King Canners’ hangs on rails with some of his mainline menswear, Clarks Wallabees underneath. Tartan and sloganed, the Chelsea Blue scarf and track jacket finally unveiled on this campaign shoot day only strengthened my hunch that the brains behind the best football fashion projects aren’t obsessed with football at all. The work of Nicholas Daley, Martine Rose and Grace Bonner-Wales arguably hits me harder because they are half-Jamaican like I am and they all explore their nuanced heritage and backgrounds with mind-blowing results.

Being rare people of colour on the same year at Central Saint Martins meant I knew Nicholas in passing as he studied menswear and I dived into fashion history and theory. In the ten years since we graduated, I’ve watched with interest as the dynamic creativity driving his subversive textile development and slickly tailored silhouettes has evolved and resonated – he was a 2020 LVMH Prize finalist and won the 2021 BFC Fashion Trust award. Music continues to be Nicholas’ biggest influence and USP as he builds on the legacy of The Reggae Klub, the club nights that his parents Maureen and Jeffrey ran in Edinburgh and Aberdeen from 1978 to 1982, with his own collections and progressive sonic events. Context is key and the designer has always used his clothes to champion talent and genres intriguingly: Paul Canoville is the latest following the likes of DJ Don Letts, as well as The Selecter’s singer Pauline Black and seminal writer Benjamin Zephaniah who star in his AW23 Roots to Rebel collection.

The Tied Together celebration event at River Cafe in Putney was only the second time that Nicholas met Canoville, after crossing paths at the 2023 London Chamber Black Excellence Awards. I was supposed to host Q&As after Nicholas proudly presented the Chelsea x Nicholas Daley track jacket to Canners, and the ex-pro revealed that his mother loves the designer’s signature baker hats, but it made more sense to let the legend warmly regale attendees with jokes and unforgettable stories. We learnt a lot: it was his cainrowed ‘crown’ hairstyle that inspired his teammates to nickname him ‘King Canners’, he supported Leeds until he beat his idols playing for Chelsea, and he never told his mum about the racism he experienced – she found out by watching a documentary. The vibes were immaculate and the soundtrack was sick with Chris Peckings and Errol on the decks spinning Canoville’s kind of music, so much so that he showed off his moves before racing back to Stamford Bridge ahead of the Chelsea vs Arsenal game. All of the Chelsea x Nicholas Daley collection proceeds will be donated to the Paul Canoville Foundation which has been helping young people fulfil their potential since 2015.

A tangent that our conversation keeps flowing down is the deep-rooted focus on entwining community, craftsmanship, and culture that Nicholas has pioneered since he launched his label in 2015. Flourishing far beyond contemporary menswear, through his Woven Rhythms Southbank Centre takeover and Somerset House The Missing Thread exhibition commission most recently, this unexpected swerve into sport in deep alignment with my club is an exciting new phase. Here are the highlights, which have been edited and condensed for clarity.

Felicia Pennant: What attracted you to a project like this?

Nicholas Daley: This project allowed me to go deeper into the universe of football culture, fashion and style and there were enough strings connected that it felt like a project worth doing. When you look at the garment archetypes of terrace culture or football fashion, what people would wear on match day was a big part of the whole tradition. From parka coats to Harrington jackets to Stay Fresh jeans. From a design perspective, you ask why is it that way? How can I try to develop it or put my own perspective on it?

Felicia Pennant: Who do you support? You're from Leicestershire, based in Tottenham, but you've got Scottish and Jamaican parents... Tell me about your memories around football, and if any of them feed into what you've done.

Nicholas Daley: My football influences reflect the nuances in my heritage. Those iconic photos of Bob Marley playing in Battersea Park are super inspiring and they've been part of my research when looking at sportswear in design and fashion. It also comes through ancestry, my mum being from Dundee. My granddad, great-granddad, and lots of people on my Mum's side, we're all Celtic supporters. So my first football strip was Henrik Larsson, my hero. I loved Henrik and my Auntie in Scotland would send the Celtic annual every Christmas.

Being a mixed-race kid growing up in Leicestershire, I remember going to football in my Celtic top and they'd be like 'Why are you wearing Celtic?' because everyone else was wearing Villa, Forest, or Leicester. I played centre-back and goalkeeper because of my size.

Felicia Pennant: And then, obviously, Leicester winning the Premier League in 2015/2016. What was that like being from that area?

Nicholas Daley: Amazing. One of the first places I worked at to get into fashion was Wellgosh, which is now unfortunately closed. It was a pillar for streetwear, sportswear and clothing so we'd get a lot of the City fans coming into the store. It'd be very much part of match day, the city would be busy and buzzing, even people like Martin O'Neill, who was at Celtic and City.

Felicia Pennant: You'd assume that you were a Chelsea fan and that’s why it's so interesting that you're not. In some ways, that distance is good because if you were, the tribalism might steer you in a different direction… How did the collaboration come about?

Nicholas Daley: Chelsea wanted to try something new and different and work with a fashion designer. Maybe there was synergy with my previous work and collaborations touching on these archetypes. When they first approached, I [wanted to] see behind this Chelsea curtain in terms of what I could do. I’d been to Stamford Bridge before. My cousin Aaron from Scotland, a Celtic supporter, got us tickets so we did the tour and that was a good day five or six years ago.

Felicia Pennant: How long did it take to bring the collaboration to life and what did you enjoy the most?

Nicholas Daley: [The approach] was probably a year ago and it’s the first time I’ve worked with a Premier League club. Due to certain delays and club changes, we had to pause and then get back on it. We asked Chelsea to send us as much archive imagery and examples of Chelsea kit, merch and memorabilia as possible. I felt most comfortable looking specifically at Paul and his career in terms of shining a spotlight on British Black elders and cultural icons – that's something I've been doing for a long time. Even in my first St Martins show, we had Don Letts (everyone thought he was my dad). I wanted to make it apparent that there was always a cross-generational dialogue, looking at people who have done incredible things in the past.

Reading Paul’s book Black and Blue was really interesting because I think we put players up on a pedestal but they're also human beings. I'm really interested in how honest and open he has been about his life and his career. He's had two rounds of cancer and a major drug addiction, he's battled racism at the club. He's had quite a colourful life and I think that's quite real. His generation, first, second and third generation people who came here from the Caribbean, had a lot of trauma.

It’s quite amazing coming to Chelsea now and seeing Paul's influence. It's quite ironic, the same stands or dugout where people were calling him the n-word… Now he’s got Canners Way and his own suite. It's actually quite important to show, especially within the Black community, that you persevere and you get through it. To show a progression that sometimes isn't as fast as we want it to be.

Felicia Pennant: That's actually very true. It's hard when you're the first and you don't want the people after you to go through [the same things]… I know you're into your music, what song sums up this project for you?

Nicholas Daley: Harry J. Allstars, Liquidator, because it's the stadium anthem. It’s a reggae ska tune and that [genre’s] influence in football as a lot of stadium anthems and the rude boy culture that came to it… There are certain parts of Chelsea's history and football history where racism is still very present and I find it kind of ironic that the track was from Jamaica.

It just shows the influence of British Black Caribbeans, especially with Windrush and the 75th anniversary this year. We were at Chris Peckings’ record store and he was featured in the film. Chris played football with Paul and Ferdinand and remembered how they’d play, get food, and go to the record store as Black men of that time in London.

Felicia Pennant: Sometimes there’s still a stigma if you say you're a Chelsea fan as a Black person. But you do see a genuine, authentic intention from the club to be more representative and inclusive. So let's talk about the jacket and the scarf – why design those specific pieces?

Nicholas Daley: I've done a few football scarves in my collections, working with a football scarf manufacturer in the UK, and that has always been quite fun. The brand is kind of like a tribe in itself so it's nice to have something that kind of leans into that. The design itself has ‘King Canners’, Paul Canoville’s nickname, on it and we'd look to vintage football scarves as a reference point. The track top was a silhouette that we ran for a few seasons for the mainline and then you’ve got the jacquard tartan trim.

It's always a funny one having your name and the branding but if you have designed it then [why not]... There are two sides of the scarf, one side tartan and a nod to my Scottish ancestry. We made our own tartan plaid and then used the Chelsea blue, red, and ecru – we looked at the 83/84 kit that Paul played in a lot.

Felicia Pennant: You're so known for your knitwear. How did you produce it in this way? Because this is a different price point and a different audience. How did you get the quality that you wanted?

Nicholas Daley: We picked a heavy honeycomb jersey, so something you'd probably find in the 80s and it has more texture which is important. On the collar, one side’s got the contrast rib and the other side’s got the tartan and key Chelsea motto ‘The Pride of London’ on it. So it’s all these little details, stuff I've picked up from working on my own track tops and tracksuits, and then just bringing in the colourway and the embroidery on it with the lion etc. Overall, I’m super happy with the results. The most important thing is that it can hopefully help Paul's foundation and raise some funds to go back to it. That's important with any collaboration that I'm working on – finding different ways to support a wider network.

The Chelsea x Nicholas Daley track jacket and scarf

Felicia Pennant: How do you want these pieces to resonate with people whether they see it or wear it? I like it even more after spending a day wearing it.

Nicholas Daley: Even if you're not a Chelsea fan or not into football, hopefully, the project will show a wider scope of identity, music, culture, and fashion by highlighting someone like Paul. Working with a Premier League club full stop, from where I've started, also shows the evolution of my message and what my brand has created over the years. Chelsea sees value in what I've done and created which is nice. I want to be able to look back at the project 10 years from now and think that it showcased the values that I believe in.

Felicia Pennant: So how would you describe the interplay between football and fashion in 2023, from your perspective?

Nicholas Daley: I'm intrigued to see what you have to say.

Felicia Pennant: ... A lot of people try to do football fashion, but I find that the designers who are brilliant at what they do, have original ideas, execute their craftsmanship, and aren't so mass-produced the most interesting. That's why I was so excited about this… What do you think?

Nicholas Daley: … I am intrigued to see the reaction to this project from the fans, players and communities of which I'm a part. If anything, it will create dialogue.

I played a lot of sport being 6'4. Golf, athletics, basketball, rugby, football and judo. My dad wanted me to be Tiger Woods, being one of the only Black and minority players in golf. You can't be an elite athlete unless you put in the hours and the dedication. So I definitely feel like you have some of that mentality as a fashion designer: working in a team, having the drive, conditioning yourself, evolving, practising, perseverance and dedication to what you do.

Felicia Pennant: Do you have any footballers as clients?

Nicholas Daley: Ian Wright was one of the first footballers who wore some of my pieces. Daniel Sturridge is a fan of the brand and he reached out not too long ago. When I worked in retail at Dover Street Market, Sturridge, Adebayor, certain players like Djibril Cisse would come in and they'd be buying Rick Owens etc. It would be cool to see what they'd pick up.

Felicia Pennant: Finally, it's Black History Month. What makes a project like this feel authentic and not performative?

Nicholas Daley: It’s always a complex moment for the Black community. I've reasoned with people I respect and admire but ultimately, no one has the same perspective. We walk our own paths, and go through very similar scenarios within society, especially if you are from the Black diaspora. You have to make a personal choice. But there are 11 more months in the year and Black history is British history. It should definitely be more prominent, more integrated, and pushed further in football, fashion, education, on television.

This project landing in Black History Month is the context it's in. I am a British Black designer and I'm focusing on Chelsea's first Black player. I want to use my platform, my design, and my creativity to tell stories and to put a voice out there.

Reece James wearing the Chelsea x Nicholas Daley track jacket

Creative credits
Photography Ollie Trenchard
Stylist Guy Miller
Film Samona Olanipekun
Production COPA90

SEASON meets: Nicholas Daley, menswear innovator, on collaborating with Chelsea FC and honouring Paul Canoville