London designer Nicholas Daley will receive this year’s Pratt Fashion Visionary Award during the upcoming Pratt Shows, recognizing his unique contributions to heritage and contemporary fashion.
Pratt Institute has announced that renowned London designer Nicholas Daley will be the recipient of this year’s Pratt Fashion Visionary Award. The presentation will take place during the “2025 Pratt Shows: Fashion” event on May 16 at Powerhouse Books in Brooklyn, New York. This recognition highlights Daley’s contributions to design that encapsulate an impactful mix of heritage, identity, and community-driven craftsmanship, aligning with Pratt’s commitment to promoting innovative yet tradition-honoring designs.
This event marks Pratt’s 124th annual showcase, where the graduating seniors from the Pratt Fashion Department will display their designs. As the first fashion program established in the United States, Pratt Institute has a long-standing history of cultivating talent in the fashion industry.
Lisa Morgan, chair of the Fashion Department, commended Daley’s work, stating that his “dedication to storytelling through design, commitment to responsible practices, and ability to reimagine cultural narratives within contemporary fashion” are reflective of the values upheld by both the department and the school.
Nicholas Daley has garnered significant recognition in the fashion world over the past decade, being honored as a finalist for the LVMH Prize and winning the British Fashion Council/GQ Designer Fashion Fund. He has also collaborated with notable brands such as Adidas, Mulberry, Fred Perry, and Carhartt Work in Progress. Recently, he participated in a pop-up store event on Regent Street hosted by the British Fashion Council, where he engaged with London Mayor Sadiq Khan.
Additionally, Daley continues to serve as creative director for Chelsea Football Club’s Blue Creator Fund, where he mentors five creatives from underrepresented backgrounds, providing them with 20,000 pounds each for their projects centered on the club and its community. His involvement in various initiatives also includes last year’s accelerator program “The New Wave at Saks.”
In expressing his vision for fashion, Daley said, “It is important to celebrate diversity, community, culture, and craftsmanship, which I hope, through my own fashion line, can inspire future fashion designers to follow their own creative journeys through their collections.”
A graduate of Central Saint Martins in 2013, Daley founded his own label with the “Culture Clash” collection for spring 2015, infusing his work with themes relevant to Black British and diasporic experiences. His designs have reached prestigious venues, including the National Museum of Scotland and the Victoria & Albert Museum, showcasing the intersection of culture and contemporary menswear.
Growing up in Leicestershire, Daley’s background influences his creative expression, with inspirations drawn from his Scottish and Jamaican heritage. He has cited fashion icons like Yohji Yamamoto and noted the impact of photographers Malick Sidibe and Seydou Keita, who captured the vibrancy of West African life in their works.
By honoring Nicholas Daley with the Pratt Fashion Visionary Award, the institute continues its tradition of recognizing influential figures in fashion, following previous recipients such as Francesco Risso, Robin Givhan, Lindsay Peoples, Kerby Jean-Raymond, and Gabriela Hearst.
Source: Noah Wire Services
