Nicholas Daley: ‘You don’t have to buy new’

For Christmas this year I will be going home to where I grew up in Leicester, getting together with family, relaxing, and listening to music: we have this album of really bad reggae covers of Christmas songs. Normally the Christmas period is cut a bit short for me by men’s fashion week in January but now it’s moved and merged with the women’s so I’m hoping to spend a day or two longer with family. Last Christmas was challenging with plans being changed, or not being able to meet up.

My mum and dad have an allotment and have been growing a lot of vegetables so the year before last we had mum and dad’s parsnips, potatoes and brussel sprouts. With my mum being from Dundee in Scotland she makes a lot of jams and chutneys and my sister and I get involved as she tries to pass on the tradition.

Our take on the traditional Christmas dinner has influences from both sides of the family, as my dad is from Jamaica. My mum might make jerk lamb with some Caribbean spices, my dad might make rice and peas, or maybe turkey, with vegetarian stuffing — I’m vegetarian. There’s always a bit of Scottish shortbread kicking about.

If I want to feel a bit festive and in touch with my Celtic roots I might wear my kilt hose from Lochcarron of Scotland. They come up past the calf, a bit like football socks. I normally just wear them with my trousers because I am saving the kilt for my wedding day in August. But they aren’t something that I bust out on a regular basis, it’s nostalgia.

We do try to keep a limit on the presents, and I always like to make gifts. I have made my mum bespoke tartan dresses and jackets from leftover fabric, my dad always gets something from the range. I also like a present to have a function, something classic like a nice leather-bound notebook, or for a specific sport or hobby. The personal touch is important. I created a montage of pictures of my sister and I when we were kids and put it in a nice frame. You also don’t have to buy new, you can add a DIY touch.

For second-hand finds, Portobello Market is great, but go on a Friday, Saturday can be very busy. You could pick up a British military parka coat, a shearling, a bit of a vintage tee. JoJo’s General Store is a good vintage dealer, based in Sheffield, I’ve bought things for myself there and I like to support a northern vintage dealer.

When it comes to actually going to shops I generally go to Soho for records at Rough Trade, Sounds of the Universe and Phonica, and the Japan Centre near Leicester Square have a great selection of teas and Japanese snacks — the matcha bread loaf is my favourite.

I also love New Beacon Books in Stroud Green, who have specialised in African and Caribbean literature since 1966. It has one of the richest selection of books exploring the black diaspora from cultural theorist Stuart Hall to Ghanaian photographer James Barnor.

For me it’s important to support other black-owned businesses or businesses started by people from minority backgrounds. We are currently collaborating with an incense brand called Cremate, started by Junior Adesanya who interned with me. He creates some amazing notes into room sprays and incense. I work with incense burning and music playing in the studio so having the right environment is important.

Gifts for comfort and reflection

Gaurab Thakali
‘Cloudy’, £120, gaurabthakalishop.com

Nicholas Daley x Lavenham
Sashiko jacket, £725, lavenhamjackets.com

Nicholas Daley
Forgotten Fury scarf, £40, nicholasdaley.net

Haeckels
Bacilli gift set, £120, haeckels.co.uk

Cremate
Incense range, Middle Way tin, £20, cremate.london

Fortnum & Mason
Traditional Dundee cake, £19, fortnumandmason.com

Prick
Cereus candle and cactus combo, £30, prickldn.com

The Little Coffee Company
Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee, £25, socialsupermarket.org

Sub Sun
SUB002 sunglasses, £120, goodhoodstore.com

Benjamin Zephaniah
‘The Life and Rhymes of Benjamin Zephaniah’, £10, benjaminzephaniah.com

Gilles Peterson
‘Lockdown FM: Broadcasting in a Pandemic’, £40, worldwidefm.ochre.store

Nicholas Daley launched his eponymous label in 2015. Of Scottish and Jamaican heritage, he explores the idea of multiculturalism within the British identity. He works with international artisans to create bespoke textiles and fabrics for every collection, such as the Japanese wax resist pattern in his spring/summer 2020 collection Blue Quilt.

Follow @financialtimesfashion on Instagram to find out about our latest stories first