Picture the scene: two designers, less than a fortnight before fashion week.
One is a menswear designer from Liverpool, creating romantic tailoring inspired by a love of literature and theatre. The other is an Asian-American knitwear visionary who is known for his structured, spiky textures. Both have dressed some of the most famous people in the world, including Harry Styles and Doja Cat, despite being in their mid-20s. And both are preparing to show collections over London Fashion Week autumn/winter 2022 this weekend.
SS Daley and Chet Lo meet up to have an honest conversation about what it’s really like being a fashion designer in London today: from pulling all-nighters in the studio with mountains of McDonald’s by their side, to problem-solving when things constantly go wrong and always treating others the same way you want to be treated.
ON THEIR DRUNKEN MEET CUTE
SS Daley: Where did we meet, Chet?
Chet Lo: I think it was at The Standard.
SSD: It was at The Standard. I was just trying to think what night that was.
CL: I have no idea. My entire life has mainly been a blur, so I don’t really know.
SSD: I think your entire life has been a blur at The Standard.
CL: I can’t get away from there. I basically live there…
ON FASHION SCHOOL IN LONDON
CL: I studied at Central Saint Martins.
SSD: Did you also study in New York?
CL: I studied pre-college stuff in New York, so when I was in high school I took pre-college classes at Parsons, which was super fun. I then came to London to study at CSM, which was hectic and insane, and it was a big mind f***. They pride themselves on literally destroying people’s minds. You’re working really hard towards something and then someone will look at it and be like, ‘It just isn’t relevant. Why are you doing this?’
SSD: Do you think that helped you?
CL: Oh, yes, probably. I think they break you down, have you withering and sobbing, then make you build yourself up.
SSD: I missed out on that — I want to be withering and sobbing! I studied at Westminster. We had moments of that, but it wasn’t as… ‘Knife in the back’.
CL: Maybe I’m just overdramatising it.
SSD: Which we do love to do in fashion, don’t we? We love the drama.
CL: Exactly!
SSD: So I went to Westminster. But I [also] studied in a small college in Wigan, in the North, if anyone knows it. Beautiful place, brilliant pies. And then, yes, flitted into [London] fashion, somehow…
ON INSPIRATION VS RESEARCH
CL: I honestly have no idea. I hate research. I love just messing around, making things. For me, a lot of it is working on the knit machine, finding a technique that’s really cool and then being like, ‘Oh, this is a vibe,’ and then just building it from there.
SSD: You’re a tactile worker.
CL: Exactly.
SSD: Absolutely not me. [Laughs] That’s really interesting because I feel like most people you meet in fashion — students, designers, interns and stuff — the one thing everyone wants to do is ‘research, research, research’. They love that part. It’s interesting to see that actually, you’re on the opposite end, and that it’s the tactility you appreciate.
CL: Yes, it’s really funny because a lot of people are like, ‘Oh my God, I want to see the mood boards, I want to see the research,’ and I’ll go blank.
SSD: I really love that. Because then you’re not doing that thing, that ‘prescribed’ method of working. It’s ingrained in us to reference, cross reference, develop and then produce. You’ve got your own pattern.
CL: It [sometimes] makes me very nervous because you never really know what anything is ever going to actually end up looking like… But it’s fun.
SSD: I’m a mood board bitch! So I’m the absolute opposite. I’ll have six big A0 boards, front and back, covered in references and research. I think it’s because I loved English lit, theatre and drama so much, and I didn’t really want to abandon the reading aspect of life and education.
CL: Oh, my God, you’re an intellectual!
SSD: No, no! Well, yes…
CL: Do you read?
SSD: Yes, massively.
CL: That’s crazy, dude.
ON THINGS THAT GO WRONG
SSD: Every. Single. Day.
CL: Yes. All the time.
SSD: Someone said to me that fashion design is just problem solving. It’s every day though. I’m like, ‘Can I just have a minute? Can I have just one second?’ Every single thing you put into the universe, it will literally spit back and be like, ‘There’s actually a problem with this.’ You have to sort it out.
CL: I know. It’s impossible to draw something [up], like, ‘This is beautiful!’ Then cut it and make it and be, like, ‘Wow, well done, guys!’ It just doesn’t happen [right away].
SSD: It never has happened. Ever.
ON DRESSING A-LISTERS
SSD: I don’t know… It just threw me into ‘the world’ a bit faster.
CL: Literally, yeah.
SSD: I was just in the car, putting a seatbelt on, and then… PHWOO. When Harry Styles wore something…
CL: Zero to 100.
SSD: Huge. Massive.
CL: It was incredible. Like, beautiful.
SSD: Thank you. And you, too. SZA and Doja Cat, right?
CL: That was crazy. I also didn’t know it was happening, really. Because they were like, ‘We want you to make these custom pieces, it’d be great if they could wear it for the [“Kiss Me More”] video.’ And I was like, ‘Cool, maybe.’
SSD: Maybe?!
CL: Yes. You know stylists have options, so I was like, ‘Okay, it might or might not be.’ I was expecting not at all. I remember when the music video came out and I was like, ‘I’m just going to have to prepare myself for it not being in there.’ And then after the first couple of seconds I was like, ‘Oh! Okay!’ I was very lucky.
SSD: Doja Cat is incredible but also I’m obsessed with SZA.
CL: Harry Styles I would marry, so…
SSD: I was obviously super excited by Harry Styles. And then Sir Ian McKellen wore something of mine and I literally dropped dead. I was on the floor. Seriously, like, dead. Because he’s such an icon.
CL: He’s amazing. He’s an actual icon.
SSD: Idol. I love him so much.
CL: Him, I’d also marry.
SSD: Yeah! I’ll dress you both.
ON LFW HOPES
SSD: It’s difficult to look forward to it at this point… [Laughs] What’s the date today?
CL: It’s the 7th [of February]. Horrifying. When is your show, by the way?
SSD: The 18th.
CL: Oh, that’s exciting. That’s really exciting. Mine’s the 20th.
SSD: Okay, so you’ve got an extra two days.
CL: Technically, it’s a little under two weeks.
SSD: So yes. It’s difficult to look forward to it because you’re so overwhelmed by how much there is to do, and it’s such a crazy time. I don’t think anyone will ever really understand what it’s like to prepare for a show, like your first or second show.
CL: It’s quite terrifying.
SSD: I obviously look forward to that moment when it’s happening. I’m really looking forward to that. But although it’s crazy, it is fun as well, when you do those crazy late nights before…
CL: That’s actually super fun. And then you get to order McDonald’s like, ‘I can write this off because I’m working for fashion week!’ So I can eat as much McDonald’s as I want. It’s beautiful.
SSD: Yes, I’m the same.
ON THEIR FAVOURITE LONDON SPOTS
CL: I literally love the aquarium. It’s my favourite place in the world.
SSD: Oh, cute.
CL: It’s just like pretty lights, I love fishes. It’s a vibe. But also, it’s really dark and I’m just hibernating in there.
SSD: I’ve never actually been.
CL: You should try it, it’s great.
SSD: Where do I actually love to go in London? There’s nothing special about it really. But I just enjoy walking around Angel, Upper Street. I don’t know why. There’s cute little coffee shops and bits and bobs. Every Sunday morning I go for a little walk along Upper Street and just pretend as if I actually don’t have anything to do.
CL: Not a care in the world. Beautiful.
SSD: So Sunday morning, and I walk on the canal…
CL: Like a gentleman who lunches.
SSD: Yes, exactly.
CL: It’s very your brand. Carefree, and expensive!
SSD: Also, the canal. I love walking along the canal.
CL: I find it so stressful because every minute you’ll have a biker about to crash you and jump you into the canal.
SSD: That’s the thing about London canals actually that differs massively from [home]. I live next to a canal at home in Liverpool, and I also now live next to a canal here — and they are like two different worlds. As you just said, those peak times are actually like being on the M6 motorway.
CL: It’s horrifying. You’re literally this close from just getting pushed in.
SSD: Actual death. Seriously. Bike here, bike there, runner, jogger, dogs, everything.
ON WORKING COLLABORATIVELY IN THE STUDIO
SSD: We literally blast [music]. Everything. Last week we had a real ‘Diana Ross, Chaka Khan’ vibe. Bit of Stevie Wonder, but no one really liked that. I was like, ‘Oh, come on, guys. Get into it!’ We listen to Kate Bush a lot. The interns don’t love it, but I think it’s great. I’m obsessed. How about you?
CL: We listen to a lot. There’s a lot of pop. I’m like that girl that listens to Ariana and Doja. I love it. And then my girls are more cool. They’ll listen to disco and techno… You’re working and then suddenly…
SSD: In the club.
CL: Literally. It gets a bit scary sometimes.
SSD: I bet you get a lot done though.
CL: You do actually get a lot done.
SSD: It’s the tempo.
CL: Yes, and you just go. You don’t talk to anyone and just go. How is your team? Are you guys like a big family and everything?
SSD: Yes, kind of. Yes, yes. Me and my boyfriend, we do it together.
CL: Oh, my God! That’s so cute. I’m so lonely! [Laughs]
SSD: He had no choice in it at all.
CL: Love that for him.
SSD: He co-creative-directed the show, and movement directed. He did a two-week workshop with this MIT group of boys.
CL: That’s so beautiful.
ON RESPONSIBILITY TO FUTURE DESIGNERS
SSD: Yes. I also think it’s our responsibility to make sure that we don’t treat people the way that we hated being treated in fashion, because it was massively horrific at times. I had some incredible experiences interning and obviously the bad outweighs the good. But there’s literally no reason for me to treat people badly at all. So I think it’s our responsibility to make sure that doesn’t happen. But I think it’s gotten nicer.
CL: It’s so much nicer. Obviously, we just talked about us trying to become better bosses to people. That is a no-brainer. And then also just trying to source your stuff ethically. And make sure your factory is ethical. And everything about it is just… You don’t want to be shameful or have to hide anything in your business. You want to be transparent.
SSD: Exactly. I think that’s also the really interesting thing about London fashion now, is that transparency. You see it a lot more among the younger designers. So I completely agree. It’s making sure that everything is… I just don’t want to leave a negative footprint. So I think it’s way more prevalent now, which is nice. And you feel that change. That’s actually fast-tracked in the last, like, three years.
CL: God, I know.
SSD: Which is great, it’s like a mandate you have to have.
CL: That’s really, really so much better.
ON THEIR UPCOMING SHOWS
CL: My show is just… it’s the dumbest thing. My show is just… ‘Winter’s cold!’ [Laughs]
SSD: I love that!
CL: And you?
SSD: I think I missed my calling as a theatre person. For me, it’s constructing something that is [both] theatre and fashion. Which is super fun, but also super complicated. It’s 65 different layers. I’m like, ‘Why am I making life harder for myself?’ But it’s exciting.
Both: I’m really excited for your show! [Both laugh]
ON THE START OF A BEAUTIFUL FRIENDSHIP
CL: Honestly!
SSD: It is! This is going to be like, a regular co-hosting gig.
CL: Yes, let’s just do this every Sunday.
