In the countdown to LFW Men’s, SLEEK Magazine spoke with Charlie Casely-Hayford to discuss his exciting venture into the high street to deliver bespoke tailoring for Topman.
The Fine Tailoring collaboration is a 10-piece collection that is split into four different accessible categories: work, wedding, weekend and occasion. “When we first sat down our primary goal was to make a more elevated offering to the mainline Topman suiting collection,” says Charlie. “It’s slightly more mature, but still very much rooted in youth culture.”
“It’s slightly more mature, but still very much rooted in youth culture”
As the younger half of the father and son duo that run the respected Savile Row fashion brand Casely-Hayford, seeing his work away from the exclusive boutiques and in the easily-accessible high-street environment was a new experience for Charlie. “It was definitely a learning curve, but was definitely one of the main reasons for me wanting to do the collaboration. The high street offering of cool, well cut suits for a young, modern and style-conscious man is pretty bleak. I wanted to work with Topman to create something really standout that had a fashion element, but was also grounded in good craftsmanship,” explains Charlie.
“I wanted to work with Topman to create something really standout that had a fashion element, but was also grounded in good craftsmanship”
The collection certainly pays homage to his Savile Row education. Although each suit retails for a modest €230-€280, Charlie has crafted made-to-measure elements, such as half-canvas jacket construction and working button cuffs, into the off-the-peg designs. The single-breasted three-piece wedding suits are available in aubergine, navy and grey-check. Two fine-tailored work suits and two ‘weekend’ suits complete the collection. These two sets differ in their construction and appearance, with the work suits boasting a raised shoulder to create a more masculine silhouette, while the weekend suits feature a drawstring tailored jogger and an unstructured jacket.
Charlie has always enjoyed the innovation that comes from collaborations. “I have always loved being forced into situations that push my everyday parameters,” he explains. “This collaboration with Topman has enabled me to explore a new skill-set from my work with Casely-Hayford. It keeps me moving forward.”
Find out more about the launch of the collection here.