A very Traditional Revolution
French philosopher Roland Barthes once said "The bastard form of mass culture is humiliated repetition... always new books, new programs, new films, news items, but always the same meaning." The bastard form of mass culture has risen dramatically in the last ten years and to search out true originality is to us what imagining space travel must have been like for the Romans. All is not lost for it seems as though a paradigm shift is coming our way. Words such as change and enlightenment have been whispered, the streets are growing anxious and with our exceedingly tiresome Lib-Con government pushing us further towards the abyss and Brussels filling up with more right wing politicians than you can shake a stick at the youth are stepping up to the plate.
Cue Casely-Hayford, the father and son fashion house who are grabbing the scruffy lost generation by the balls and sending them back into the streets as debonair gentleman revolutionaries.
Casely-Hayford's fifth collection 'The light through the Darkness' welcomes a new beginning and beckons the 'lost' generation to take charge. Its ideals of rebirth mirrors those of the London's inhabitants, their autumn winter collection copes flawlessly with its 'discordant synergy' and 'amalgamations' as we must in own fluctuating environment.
Casely-Hayford didn't just stumbled across originality and enlightenment, their father-son base has created a perfect harmony between old and new, traditionalism and radicalism, experience and fresh perception.
Many father-son working partnerships take years to develop and become fruitful but Casely-Hayford has seen a rapid rise to notoriety. It may be because their working relationship 'started' at such an infant stage,
"Charlie has always had a unique eye. We started doing father and son shoots with magazines and newspapers when he was 2 1/2; that was when he wore his first bespoke suit."
Joe noticed his sons eye for detail and knack for fashion from the off,
"It was a mini version of a split front jacket and trousers I had designed for my collection, worn with some heavy brown apprentice work boots from Northampton- he still wears the same look today. We made a few pieces for charlie when he was very young and he would always wear them with his own style."
Despite decking his son out in his own designs, fashion wasn't something Joe pushed on young Charlie, "Out intention was always to give Charlie a broad education and let him draw his own conclusions. Growing up in a creative environment it was inevitable that he would be influenced by his surroundings. From an early age he gravitated towards the arts. Being my passion, it is wonderful to see my children naturally drawn towards something that is central to my existence."
The Casely-Hayford existence has always been one seeped in pro-active artistic history, many a scholar and historian will know the Casely-Hayford name from Joe's politician, lawyer and writer, grandfather J.E. Casely Hayford. JE. was a predominant figure in the pan-african movement of the early 1900's so the fact Joe is proud of his father goes without saying.
"His ideas and politics were never forced upon us, but we were always aware of his influence and thinking. The notion of cultural displacement is something that has run throughout generations of our family. J.E.’s book 'Ethiopia Unbound' was one of the first novels to be written by a Black African and focused on the idea of dual identity. He was his own man, carving a singular path with a dual vision."
The importance of his grandfathers work is unquestionable but it is also nice to hear Joe comment on his attire and how this also works its way into the brand,
"He would wear traditional Ghanaian Kente cloth whilst studying law at Cambridge and Savile Row suits when working in Africa.English sartorialism and British anarchy, the Casely-Hayford brand ethos, are echoes of this innate philosophy - utilising a discordant synergy to highlight certain ideals."
It isn't just grandpa J.E. who brings pride and inspiration to Joe either, coming from a family with such gusto and positive attitude couldn't have done Casely-Hayford much harm in terms of its work ethic and passion.
" As a family we have always been encouraged to pursue our passions with vigour. A good example of this would be my late aunt, Gladys Casely-Hayford, who was struck down with Polio at an early age. As a result she walked with a limp for the rest of her life. This wasn't enough to deter her from joining a dance troupe and performing in the Weimar Republic during pre Nazi Germany. She went on to write some of the early 20th century lesbian poetry; this positive and fearless approach to life constantly inspires us as a family."
The literary influence is a very important factor in the Casely-Hayford house, you can hear it when they speak and read it in every interview, even their brand philosophy reeks of two very well read individuals.
"All men possess elements of anarchy within their character. Anarchy is not about the total absence of rules, but rather the significance of autonomy. The Casely-Hayford ethos represents a unique expression of freedom created when conformity threatens identity, or convention restricts spontaneity; we fuse this expression of the free spirit with the very particular gestures of English sartorialism. The House aims to distil a multitude of ideas into a simple pure entity: innovation through tradition."
Joe obviously takes his literature and philosophy very seriously and its intriguing to hear him talk about the writers that he feels have had most effect on where we see the brand today.
"Anticipation and communication are paramount to the purity of our vision. This is often influenced by the works of writers such as Roland Barthes in terms of social theory, post-structuralism, and anthropology, Will Hutton for highlighting cultural and social differences, Dick Hebdige for his work on subcultural studies and finally Ferdinand de Saussure. These works help to shape the eyes that we view our society through season after season, and helped to lay "the foundations of our brand."
Joe and Charles both studied at London's esteemed university Central St Martins, in fact Joe met Charles mother whilst studying there which Charles felt "In hindsight, was probably one of those situations where my subconscious overpowered my conscious thought."
Judging by their re-counting of their college days there is one thing that really changed the face of teaching at St Martins, the internet. Joe begins "Ideas carried more resonance because it took longer for them to disseminate. A week after the Paris shows the head of fashion would give a slide projection presentation to show us the collections through hand drawn illustrations - and that was our connection with the global fashion weeks until they were published in magazines three months later. It meant regional fashion bore far greater significance than it will ever again. When you flew to Paris it really felt like visiting an alien culture. We experienced the birth of designer fashion, the birth of street culture with the Face and i-D and the birth of the stylist. All these things that I feel Charlie takes for granted held such gravitas in my world."
Far from take such a luxury for granted Charles almost longs for the old way of teaching and there is a hint of resentment for the internets influence on fashion today. "I was able to live stream a show in real time from my laptop while I was studying there. You do begin to lose a sense of reality. I remember people complaining about how a style of fashion was outmoded before it even hit the stores. While I was at Saint Martin’s I began to feel that idea of seasonal fashion was becoming less relevant, particularly in comparison to my father’s day. Because I had so much information at my fingertips, it seemed that the value of creating a designer collection was diminishing. The general public now have complete access to images of collections that won’t be in-store for six months; previously this privilege was only for the eyes of a select few. While I was there I couldn’t help but feel that the currency of fashion, with so much information readily available, is changing dramatically."
Its not only generational changes in education and technology which has shaped the Casely-Hayford house but of course the underlying subject of all their work, society.
When Joe was cutting his teeth on Saville Row, Margaret Thatcher was pissing off miners across the country now its David Cameron's turn but this time he has riled up all the students. Fashion as we know always seems to find its place in social uprisings and Joe and Charles both have strong feelings on todays current climate. Joe's views echo a vast percentage of our disillusioned nation in his comparisons with the Thatcherite era "For someone of my generation it is encouraging to see the re-emergence of a politicised youth becoming radicalised. After decades of lethargy it seems that certain similarities between today and the Thatcher era have motivated young people to make their voices heard."
Whilst Charles having not experienced anything of this magnitude is buoyed by recent events in the capital and is noticing a real shift in attitudes within his generation.
"I grew up feeling like my generation had nothing to fight for, nothing to stand up for and consequently nothing new to say. This passivity, in my eyes, induced a lack of passion and stifled creativity. For a long time, particularly from the perspective of a designer, everything my generation was taking as their own to shape its identity was referenced directly from times past or utilised existing social signifiers. Nothing was original. Every guy in London wore a Barbour, lumberjack shirt and brogues or DMs, skinny jeans and a Biker jacket. We were a pastiche of either cultural signifiers borrowed from the establishment, or a hash of things from the past. There wasn't really any vision pushing forward and breaking new ground. If you look to the past at Teddy Boys, Mods, Skinheads of the 60s and 80s,Punks, even Grungers of the 90's their movements emerged when the youth had something to fight for and something to believe in. This is the first notable instance of politicised youth moving into unchartered territory for a long time. It has brought about a real sense of purpose because people feel motivated by something that could really have an effect on their lives."
Joe adds to the notion that fashion morphs and has a certain spark to it in such troubled times, "I believe a designer should be a social conduit. Recent fashion has lacked the energy and danger which comes through confronting new challenges. The Thatcher years spawned exciting creative ideas because the youth of that era was not complacent. I would like to think that my work reflected the cultural climate of the time." Joe also echoes Charles's inner hope that what we are experiencing now will see the coming of something very exciting just round the corner for Britains youth culture, "I can sense a new energy emanating from the streets. Digital activists like Uncut and Anonymous are likely to trigger novel forms of protest; historically this kind of grass roots activism goes hand in hand with cultural change and the introduction of new dress codes. As a result of this action we could experience the first genuine, radical youth fashions to emerge for a generation."
Mother time has been kind to Joe the age gap physically speaking is barely visible and although he appears the same man as 20 years ago his thought process's and way he looks at fashion have evolved, as he confesses.
"I was drawn into fashion as a young kid through an interest in individual and collective identity. I became fascinated by the power of social uniforms and decided that I would like to celebrate the cult of the individual by making clothes which question social conventions. Times move on and the role of the designer has changed. Today, I approach design from a different perspective, thinking more about form and function than breaking social conventions."
Its this outlook that leads us nicely to where Casely-Hayford find themselves today, a house equally underlined as much by social change as with their love of traditionalism. In 2007 Joe was awarded an OBE for his services to the fashion industry this followed his time at Gieves and Hawkes where he had the opportunity to dress royalty and eventually became creative director. When these details are read alongside the fact he has been responsible for some of The Clashes most iconic stage outfits it certainly makes for an odd cv. Despite such associations he explains that there was no doubt to whether he would accept the OBE or not,
"I believe some sort of awards/Honours system helps to define a national identity. I don’t think it should be at all class or income related, but provide people with a sense of civic pride and individual purpose. Vivienne Westwood created Punk fashion and is now a Dame. The establishment is capable of acknowledging shifts in creative thought which move society forward."
Joe's time at Gieves and Hawkes was a huge factor in his love for British Traditionalism but with change, losses must be accounted for, does Joe worry that the traditional art of tailoring that he learnt on Saville Row and encouraged at Gieves and Hawkes will gradually disappear?
"I have always felt it important to appreciate the formal elements of culture. In order to challenge or subvert it is crucial to understand the source. When I began my career in fashion I set out to learn the essence of sartorial style by studying at the Tailor and Cutter Academy in London, before working with the respected tailor Douglas Hayward; from there I was able to experiment and discover at St Martin’s. The Casely-Hayford philosophy is based upon the collision between innovation and tradition; we believe it is essential to pass on human skills and knowledge from generation to generation. We aim to offer craftsmanship in a corporate age. I was invited to become Creative Director of Gieves and Hawkes because of the respect I have for tradition coupled with my love of innovation. I believe that in the future these human skills can only increase in value."
Growing up in the shadow of a famous father for some would spell rebellion in the most distasteful of ways but Charles has revelled in his father's knowledge and experience whilst bringing Casely-Hayford as much integral input as Joe. Charles describes the age gap with as much fluidity, turn of phrase and wisdom as his father, "The generation gap is more complex than simply being defined by differences in our chronological age. We have a strong creative synergy and complimentary personalities which transcend preconceived ideas of how one should think, like or behave at a certain age. Sometimes I’m more conservative, and my father is more avant-garde in our design approach. Despite coming to it from different points of view the end choice is always singular."
Now in its 3rd year the Casely-Hayford house is rolling harmoniously without a hiccup. There must have been a time when the father-son duo came to some disagreement if only with what one turns up to work wearing? Joe concludes the interview by putting to bed any rumours this sneaky upstart journalist may want to start.
"Charlie has raided my archives (without my permission) consistently for the last 10 years, so I can’t really knock his style as I designed most of his clothes."
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