English sartorialism meets British anarchy: Exploring Joe Casely-Hayford’s brand philosophy through his menswear designs

The history of British fashion remains incomplete without the acknowledgement of the significant contributions of Black fashion cultures as well as Black British designers – figures such as Ozwald Boateng, Bruce Oldfield, Wale Adeyemi, Ninivah Khomo – whose works have often been overlooked in mainstream narratives. Another such name is Joe Casely-Hayford (JCH) (1956–2019) whose career, spanning from the late 1980s until his passing in 2019, was defined by a distinctive signature that incorporated Savile Row-quality tailoring with innovative streetwear aesthetics. Recognition of his contribution as a Black British designer has been recently acknowledged through a fashion exhibition, eponymous MA fashion scholarship and special recognition award. Despite these recognitions, his work has largely remained underrepresented in academic literature. This gap underscores the need for scholarly exploration of Joe Casely-Hayford’s influence, particularly as the fashion industry has recently begun to acknowledge the contributions of Black British designers. Researching his work and legacy offers an opportunity to understand and appreciate the often-overlooked role of Black British creatives in shaping both national and global fashion narratives. Leveraging the object analysis method, three garments designed by JCH in the 1990s, sourced from the Westminster Menswear Archive, were analysed to examine his use of colour, texture, structure and silhouette in interpreting the expression of his design philosophy, ‘English sartorialism and British anarchy’. Findings from this research emphasize the significance of heritage, place and identity in his design process, highlighting the consistent negotiation of honouring tradition and provoking dialogue beyond the runway.