Styled by: Daniel w. Fletcher
Styling Ben Schofield Photography Thurstan Redding Casting Sophie Lynas at Leda Hair Jody Taylor Model Karim At Leda Footwear Camper With an ‘art imitates life’ mentality, Daniel w. Fletcher has absorbed the social issues of contemporary Britain, turning his fashion into a stylish and fresh platform for commentary against civic disenfranchisement.
From his Peckham Pony Club, a graduate collection dissecting Peckham’s borderline position between historical poverty and gentrification, to the bittersweet nostalgia of English Schoolboys for Autumn/winter ’16 and the unsubtle anti-brexit STAY for Spring/summer ’17, Fletcher actively paved the way for his most recent tour-de-force, ‘Let It Bleed’. He brought the timeless motif of the call-to-arms that is his Autumn/winter ’17 collection to our studio, as seen on our cover star Jack Antonoff of Bleachers.
The last few years have been a very rewarding ride for the Central Saint Martins alum, with his politically motivated style gathering endorsements from Lanvin’s Lucas Ossendrijver and artistic director at Louis Vuitton Kim Jones. His reworkings of traditional British silhouettes transitioned into an eponymous label fresh off the graduate runaway, when Daniel found a fan in Opening Ceremony, which started carrying his capsule collection straightaway. As a firm believer that the younger generation should constantly affirm its presence on the political scene, the brand has acted as a political activator, blurring the lines between presentation and demonstration ever since Daniel reasserted his commitment through his fashion to the European Union in a peaceful protest outside 180 the Strand prior to the Brexit vote. The Fall ’17 outing visualises that concept further, calling millennials out to vote and make their voice heard.
Let It Bleed remains faithful to the politically cohesive story that is integral to the brand’s ethos. The Autumn/winter’17 instalment announces its desire for reformation from the very title, the visuals to further be styled around the theme of a political rally, supported through the patchwork of the designs, an ode to a ‘sewn together’ spirit. That, along with the suits turned inside out, another metaphor calling for the restructuring of Conservative austerity, allows for the most triumphant chapter of Daniel W. Fletcher’s politically aware and fashion forward career so far. danielwfletcher.com