Forbidden lovers

S.S. Daley delivered a perfectly penned love letter to queer romance
By Ella Joyce | Fashion | 18 September 2022

Another episode in S.S. Daley’s period drama aired last night in the form of his SS23 collection, titled Vita. For FW22, the British designer focused on the upstairs-downstairs dynamic of the stately home, this time around it was forbidden romance within the constraints of English aristocracy. Turning to the letters shared between Vita Sackville-West and Violet Trefusis, queer women navigating the patriarchal controls of early 20th Century England, Daley turned their words into an exploration of the symbiotic relationship between privilege and power in today’s world. 

Never one to forgo storytelling, the St. Pancras Renaissance Hotel was transformed into a space reminiscent of Sackville-West’s Sissinghurst Castle home as excerpts from the forbidden lover’s letters were read aloud over a symphony of violins performed by the National Youth Theatre. Stepping into the ever-evolving world of S.S. Daley’s designs, genders merged and hemlines rose. Strapless gowns were crafted from blown-up pairs of the designer’s signature oversized trousers, worn high at the chest instead of high at the waist, and paired with a flowing black morning coat. Pushing the boundaries of tailoring, linen suits were confidently constructed at the shoulder alongside a larger-than-life lapel offset with a fluid sleeve and billowing wide-leg trouser.

Garden-inspired motifs remained a constant as calico shirts were printed with 1920s seed packet illustrations and cotton twill utility sets were emblazoned with floral designs. Vita and Violet’s longstanding reference to bunnies and hares in their letters found a welcome place in Daley’s collection, too. A jersey-long sleeve top embroidered with the slogan ‘BUNNY BOY’ staged an explicit nod to the forbidden lover’s words while hares danced upon the front of polo shirts and trench coats were etched with 1700s drawings of the animals. Treading into uncharted territory, the designer also debuted a collaboration with Dan Levy’s DL Eyewear with three key frames, playing with traditional 20th-century English eyewear from the class divide. A cheeky youthfulness abounded across a collection that toed the line between real and surreal, loving and longing, gender and conformity. 

GALLERYBackstage images from S.S.Daley WOMENS-SPRING-SUMMER-23

GALLERYCatwalk images from S.S.Daley WOMENS-SPRING-SUMMER-23





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