You’d think a brand like Fred Perry – a British juggernaut of a company with stores in just about every corner of the UK – would be rather reluctant to share its throne with fellow designers. Quite the opposite. This year alone, Fred Perry has invited everyone from emerging menswear designer Nicholas Daley, to the black-owned collective Art Comes First, to reinterpret key pieces from its expansive archive.
Lucky for us (and unlucky for our wallets) Fred Perry has no plans of stopping the collabs anytime soon. Launched today, the brand has teamed up with the London-based tailoring experts Casely-Hayford, which was founded by the late creative visionary Joe Casely-Hayford OBE, and his son Charlie – who now heads the label alone.
Bringing the sort of attention to detail once reserved to Saville Row to contemporary ready-to-wear, Casely-Hayford create pieces with the intention that they can be worn forever. The collaboration between the two brands sees Charlie Casely-Hayford hark back to his youth, reminiscing of growing up in Dalston and spending his days trawling through Ridley Road Market, being amongst of a melting pot of different cultures.
These memories are reflected within the collection’s campaign, lensed by Olivia Rose, which uses youth cultural reportage photography as inspiration. The collection sees classic Fred Pery shirting has been made to look as if it has been passed between generations, some made from retro jacquard, others adorned with displaced pockets and miss-matched buttons. There’s also an ace pair of pinstripe trousers, distressed knits and a re-imagining of the classic Fred Perry tennis bomber. There isn’t a piece from this collection that we wouldn’t want in our wardrobe.
Photography by Olivia Rose. The Fred Perry x Casely-Hayford collection is available online here.
