Harry Styles has officially ventured into more runway-adjacent territory after it was announced last night, hot on the heels of SS Daley’s inaugural Pitti Uomo show in Florence, that the pop star has become a minority shareholder in the British label.
While financial terms of the deal were not shared, the investment will enable Stokey-Daley, who presented his autumn/winter 2024 collection in Florence during Pitti Uomo last night, to build his direct-to-consumer business and support a 'sustainable and long-term expansion,' according to reports.
'Harry and I have a shared vision for the future of S.S. Daley and we look forward to this new chapter together as we focus on brand longevity and scaling the business into a modern British heritage house,' Stokey-Daley said in a statement.
Although a foray into fashion investment is a first for Styles, the 'As It Was' star is no stranger to Stokey-Daley’s designs. An avid fan of Stokey-Daley’s inimitable and quintessentially British approach to menswear, Styles first sported the Liverpool native's clothing in the video for his 2020 single 'Golden'.
Styles’ working relationship with the 2022 LVMH Prize winner dates back to 2020 when he was initially introduced to Daley’s craftsmanship via his renowned stylist, Harry Lambert. Lambert announced an open call for emerging designers to submit their work via his social platforms, to which Stokey-Daley applied and Lambert followed up asking for his graduate collection, and the rest, as they say, is history. Stokey-Daley’s Pitti Uomo slot follows in the footsteps of distinguished fashion designers such as Martine Rose, Grace Wales Bonner, Raf Simons and Jonathan Anderson, to name but a few.
Daley took a step back from his usual slot during London Fashion Week last season to begin work on the collection debuted last night, which comprised 35 looks inspired by EM Foster's 1911 novel A Story of A Panic.
It’s interesting to wonder what this investment could mean for the future of the brand and its new shareholder. An elevation of epic proportions, including a larger retail footprint is surely on the horizon for Stokey-Daley with news of Styles’s backing and a Pitti Uomo co-sign. But can we expect a more prominent role from the global musician in the future? Only time will tell.
