The Daniel w. Fletcher spring/summer 2023 collection opens London Fashion Week at The Londoner Hotel with an all-black morning suit rendered in British wool and worn with a singular armband in a solemn tribute to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

For Fletcher, this collection is an homage to the figures — past and present — that have made London their home and a place of global intrigue and impact. King’s Road punks, the late-night characters of Soho, Savile Row tailors, those in the home stands from Finsbury Park to Stamford Bridge, the suited gents of The City and, of course, Their Majesties across the decades in their inner-city palaces. This influence comes not from a singular time frame or generation, but an amalgamation of a city that continues to weave a narrative that is felt and observed world over.

With all this in mind, The Londoner Hotel, which sits in the heart of Central London, seemed like the obvious venue choice for this showcase.

The first looks call upon London’s suiting heritage with influences feeding in from naval uniforms to natty Sixties gents in Prince of Wales check, while satin tie-collar shirts inflict an alternative flair befitting the iconoclasts that redefined London’s gentlemen aesthetic. Here, daytime suiting meets with country kilts that now come spliced to the hip and wrapped in faux fur.

The collection comes of age in the city. Professional responsibilities occupy the daytime but London’s possibilities come alive in the hours that follow. This feels fitting for Fletcher who moved to the capital to study at Central Saint Martins just over a decade ago. This period of reflection and looking back at the past 10 years has resulted in elements of self-referencing. Note SS19 corsets, AW20 racing jackets or louche pyjama sets that recall the pieces that Fletcher launched his label within a classic palette including postbox red and banker-boy blue.

The pillars of British heritage meet together in contrast and collision. A rowing blazer appears in one look, while others are laden with studded rivets in a nod to punkish rebellion. Pleated satin cummerbunds come into play in distinct reference to tuxedo formal wear ready for white-tie occasions and scarcely there mini skirts pick up new connotations and act as a clear nod to the transformative period of Sixties London.

The collection comes to a close in a swansong for the characters that come out to seek the splendour of London’s expansive nightlife. A chocolate brown leather blazer is Fletcher’s nod to the burgeoning queer scene of the nineties, while trailing faux fur stoles are an exaggerated take on the styles that a mid-century aristocrat might leave trailing behind as she exits The Royal Opera House.

Corsetry is no longer just for her and finds a new subversive context worn amongst Fletcher’s signature immaculate tailoring or with schoolboy shorts. In these pieces, liberation and freedom find a new meaning that originates from a distinctly London point of dressing. Throughout, looks are decorated with a subtle dose of sparkle courtesy of Hatton Labs, while customised shearling bags have been made in partnership with Axel Arigato.

This is Fletcher’s most sustainable collection to date, setting out to further explore the parameters of working with entirely deadstock fabrics through Nona Source, a platform which sources waste fabrics from LVMH houses to be repurposed elsewhere. The collection aims to negate any learnt thoughts of what a sustainable collection can be and proves what can be achieved within the constructs of working responsibly, and ultimately creatively, to push to new understandings of finesse.

In Stand And Deliver, the city’s most notable style legacies meet together with an anarchic insouciance that has long been — and will endure as — the envy of other capitals. Consider this a love letter to the city from Fletcher. If London has been the grounding and foundation for the last 10 years then fondly looking outward is perhaps the inevitable next destination.

This collection is dedicated to Ganky, to Alice, to Banks and to Dad – always.

Words – Naomi Pike

ABOUT DANIEL w. FLETCHER

A London-based contemporary brand, established in 2015 after Daniel Fletcher graduated from Central Saint Martins. The brand focuses on a casual luxury approach and remains reflective of contemporary society, looking to British culture, current affairs and social issues, while exploring heritage techniques and increasingly embracing sustainable practices.

Fletcher was nominated for the prestigious LVMH prize in 2017 and has garnered further recognition through several award wins: European Semi-Final of the International Woolmark Prize, 2018, a Future British Award, and has been named Drapers 30 Under 30. In 2020, Fletcher was awarded Breakthrough Designer of The Year by British GQ. His designs have been worn by Harry Styles, Troye Sivan, Dua Lipa, Tommy Dorfman, KJ Apa, Charlie Heaton and Josh O’Connor.

All images courtesy of Daniel W. Fletcher

Photographer Chris Yates

CATWALK SHOW CREDITS

Creative Director Daniel Fletcher

Styling Ben Schofield

Casting Sophie Lynas at Leda Casting

Head of Communications Gurdit Singh

Production KO Productions

Makeup Kristina Ralph Andrews

Hair Sophie Jane Anderson

Words Naomi Pike

Graphics Daniel Titchener

Milinary Noel Stewart

Movement Direction Mesh Henry

Fabrics Nona Source

Footwear Marsell

Bags Axel Arigato

Jewellery Hatton Labs

Hair Accessories Katya

Hosiery Falke

Public Relations Purple PR

Styling Assistants Kit Swann, Dominik Radomsky

Casting Assistant James Atkinson

Design & Atelier Team

Lydia Wilson, Lucy Higgens, Marta Jakubowski, Daniel Titchener, Inesa Jurasiene, Xiwen Zhang, John Redman, Alexandra O’Donovan, Grace Alexander