SS Daley RTW Spring 2023

Delivering on its promise to offer "more than just a parade experience" for its parade of spring, British menswear designer Steven Stokey-Daley laid out a garden set, enlisted actors to read the tense love letters between Vita Sackville-West and Violet Keppel, and drew bunny mustaches on the faces of the models, some of which also carried weathered pitchforks or wicker baskets of farmhouse-fresh eggs.

The 2022 winner of the LVMH Prize for Young Designers could not have roughly anticipated the death of the Queen Elizabeth II a week before her show, but that forced her to add a funeral segment at the start, her young mourners dressed in white shirts with oversized collars and chunky black trousers, each holding a lighted candle.

While the designer hinted at conflicting behind-the-scenes views of the monarchy, his upstart label sees the British class system through a strange lens - he admitted "she meant so much to people".

The show's narrative revolved around "this theme of forbidden love", including the tradition of Sackville-West dressing as a man on their clandestine date with Keppel in France so they could pose as a couple.

Male and female models of various sizes walked around in tall wide corduroy pants and impeccable camp shirts, among the clothing archetypes that work with all genders.

And while Sackville-West and Keppel's relationship sadly ended, Stokey-Daley s turned out rather cheerful and summer fare: blouses with balloon sleeves; linen suits edged with white stitching; front calico shirts with vintage seed packets and large trench coats trailing ribbons or printed with a rabbit.

The clothes weren't always flattering, but had a unique charm and rich history. Stokey-Daley noted that he had increased his use of leftover materials, including vintage commemorative tea towels. An eagle-eyed editor spotted one from 1977, Elizabeth II's Silver Jubilee. "My grandmother had one in her kitchen and she crossed out the calendar with a ballpoint pen," he said.