In our long-running series “How I’m Making It,” we talk to people making a living in the fashion and beauty industries about how they broke in and found success.

Before Nicholas Daley is a designer, he’s an artist.

Fashion just so happens to be the most natural medium to him, but growing up, he dabbled in photography, sculpture and any other artistic practice that piqued his interest. Music resonated with with him, too, and it remains a core element of his creative identity. 

So, how did Daley up in fashion? His family gave him early exposure to the art of craftsmanship: His grandfather was a cobbler in Jamaica; his Scottish grandmother did a lot of knitting, a skill she passed on to his mother (and later, him). “I do feel like this kind of DIY and craftmaking […] has been an intrinsic DNA thing,” the London-based creative tells Fashionista. 

By the time he applied to Central Saint Martins, he had already found his way into the world of design — now, it was just about perfecting his craft. “Central Saint Martins in London has a long history of [teaching] some really pioneering designers,” he recalls of his college experience. “I wanted to be with and learn from the best.”

Clearly, that training paid off: Almost 10 years since launching his eponymous label, Daley is a celebrated industry name. His brand has collaborated with Carhartt Work in Progress, Mulberry, Adidas and Fred Perry. It’s been worn by musicians like Doechii, Theo Croker, Protoje and, most recently, Leon Bridges at the 2025 Met Gala. It’s received major industry recognition, winning the BFC/GQ Designer Fashion Fund in 2022, and being a finalist for the 2020 LVMH Prize and 2022 BFC/Vogue Designer Fashion Fund.

On Friday, Daley officially adds the 2025 Pratt Fashion Visionary Award to his list of accolades. The honor is given to inspiring designers who mix innovation with tradition.

“This is what you aspire to do as a designer, to showcase your work at the highest level, and you want interesting people and respected institutions to recognize that and support it,” Daley says of receiving the award. “It’s great to show the next generation of designers that you can grow and build a business on […] what you truly believe in, your story.”

Ahead, Daley discusses how he got his start, why his cultural heritage is intrinsic to his brand, building relationships with retailers, advice for emerging designers and more.

Tell me about your earliest interest in fashion. Were there early signs you’d end up in this industry?

When I was 16, I worked in a streetwear store, so I was exposed to a lot of streetwear culture and hip hop. Also, with my parents, they ran a music club together in the ’70s, so there’s always been a lot of music and interesting cultural influences, which I look at a lot within my work. 

At what point did you realize that fashion wasn’t just a simple interest, but was personal and purposeful?

When I was applying to go to Central Saint Martins and I was making my own clothes, I felt really good about it. I felt I could express myself more and tie in all my identity within it.

Once you got started in design professionally, can you walk me through how that took off for you? What were some of those first steps you took to make that dream happen?

I worked really hard and had supportive parents. [There was] definitely some graft. It also helped having time to experiment, and I think that’s what Central Saint Martins did. I also did internships: I went to a British designer called Paul Smith. I interned at Savile Row for a couple of months to learn about the different styles of tailoring and how to create a bespoke suit. I also worked at Dover Street Market, on the retail front. It was a really cool [way] to immerse myself not just in design, but also within wholesale and retail, which I think is just as important for any designer trying to figure out their way. 

How have you navigated your brand financially?

The finances are really tough, but I’ve been lucky to get support from the British Fashion Council, from the LVMH Prize and from the Woolmark Prize. I recently did something with Saks Fifth Avenue last year, their New Wave program, where we received mentoring and support on funding.

How have you gone about building your consumer base and clientele?

Our top cities are Tokyo, London and New York. Japan was the first country where we really took off and still have a good base there. London’s obviously home soil, so we’ve worked with Selfridges, Mr. Porter and some other really good UK-based accounts. Now, in North America, it’s been going really well, where we work with Saks and Nordstrom, but then some independent [retailers] like Seed in Bed-Stuy and Million Goods in Greenpoint. On the West Coast, we work with Chris Gibbs in Union [Los Angeles]. It is nice to see the brand slowly growing and developing across North America.

Talk to me more about your retail strategy. How did you know it was time to get into wholesale, and how did you decide who would be the best fit for your brand?

It wasn’t overly planned; I felt it was a good opportunity. I spoke to people whom I knew and got a lot of support from the stores in Japan, and that’s how it started. So for me, it was quite organic, which I think is a great thing. The demand for the product was there, I wasn’t trying to push an idea. 

What moment in your career would you identify as your big break?

The fashion awards I’ve received or have been a part of, like LVMH or the GQ Awards, which I won in 2022, have definitely helped with momentum. Even with the award I’m receiving this week from Pratt, it’s an amazing achievement. As well as [attending] the Met Gala, that was a first. As long as you’re making new ground and pushing yourself, then I feel like it all accumulates together.

On the subject of the Met Gala, I’m sure that was so exciting to be able to dress Leon Bridges. How did that opportunity come about?

Leon and I love a lot of similar things. I think we have a very deep understanding and appreciation of different types of music and style, and honoring things from past generations, whether it’s the clothing or the records, but making it feel fresh. He’s always been very authentic to himself and to where his roots are from, and it’s the same for me. We kept in contact from last year, and then from there I just said, ‘Look, I’d love to create something more bespoke for you.’ And then things just developed: He was attending the Met, we spoke and the rest was what you saw on the carpet.

Also, having [my design] in the exhibition is a really profound and historic moment. As a Black designer, I feel very proud that my work has had an impact at this event. I think it is important to give opportunities to different people from different backgrounds to showcase our work, whether it is the Met or receiving an award or selling in a department store.

How does your dual heritage shape your craft today?

It’s everywhere: in the collection, through the colors, through the craft. We’ve made our own tartan, which is from Scotland. We’ve made hand-knit and crocheted rasta tams. We’ve got collaborations and are working with different mills in Britain and Scotland. 

I think every collection I do is like a sister, cousin or brother to each other. Even the names of some of the collections [tie in], like our Spring 2025 collection ‘Sacred Drums,’ which looks at Rastafari drumming. We did ‘Anansi Rhythm,’ which is about Jamaican folklore and storytelling.

You’ve become such a beloved and recognizable name in this industry. Do you feel like that comes with any pressure?

There are times when maybe you feel overwhelmed with certain things, but I enjoy what I do most of the time, and I like inspiring people. I like making things, I love creating. That’s why I feel my purpose is best done in storytelling, but at times it can get overwhelming for sure. 

What do you think are the biggest challenges facing designers today?

There are lots of different elements now, whether it’s in sourcing and sustainability, trying to make a really great product without impacting the environment. Then you’ve got logistics and commercial areas like tariffs and the way the economy is through financing and consumer spending. There’s also IP and copyright. As a young designer, you’ve got to be careful to protect your ideas.

There are a lot of elements involved with running a fashion brand now, even within my career, which has almost come up to 10 years from when I started. Even within that spectrum of time, the use of social media, marketing, press agencies, influencers, all these elements now, which maybe weren’t as strong when I first started, are now pretty essential.

What advice would you give to someone looking to follow in your footsteps?

Finding your pillars in whatever you do in life, something you can always lean on, is important. What is your ideology? What do you want to say? But finding that wasn’t an overnight thing. That took a process of creating and failing and coming back again.

And don’t feel like you need to go out doing the biggest show. Just try to make great products first. There are so many clothes in the world and in the industry, so you want to make sure what you’re making is having an impact and it’s adding something.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

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