For his SS24 collection, titled Merry Ment, S.S. Daley continued his subversion of British ideals, taking his inspiration from the work uniforms of the artists Lucien Freud and David Hockney. His trademark billowing trousers and knitted vests made their expected appearance, but this time playful little sausage dogs appeared rendered in wool, a reference to Stanley and Boodgie, the beloved dachshunds that inspired Hockney’s 1995 series Dog Days.

The tailoring was on point on pieces that resembled the uniforms of British public schools: jackets cut in brown ticking striped linen and ecru cotton twill, while others were edged with a burgundy zig-zag stitch around the revere, pockets and armholes inspired by the inner finishings of vintage British swimwear.

There is always a sense of dandyish joy in S.S. Daley’s collections and this one was no different. It’s a kind of Evelyn Waugh chic, Brideshead Revisited being another inspiration for this collection. It is a shame, however, that Cecil Beaton isn’t around to photograph them.