talk
Talking Tartan: Nicholas Daley, Olubiyi Thomas and Ferren Gipson
Saturday 28 October 2023
An in-conversation with contemporary designers exploring tartan's global roots and impact
Jamaican-Scottish designer Nicholas Daley and Lagos-born, Glasgow-raised, London-based designer Olubiyi Thomas both create garments that embrace tartan’s global roots. Join art historian, writer, and artist Ferren Gipson to untangle the stories and ideas that underpin both designers work, unpacking their relationship with tartan.
From a tartan that draws on the shared colour scheme of the Nigerian flag and Glasgow’s Celtic football club to reflect cross-cultural identity, to a kilt ensemble that unpacks the cultural legacies of madras and tartan – both designers use the textile to explore intertwined ideas of identity, kinship and heritage to celebrate contemporary multiculturalism.
Both designers’ work can be seen in our exhibition, Tartan, a radical new look at one of the world’s best-known textiles.
Image credits: Nicholas Daley by Ollie Adegboye, Ferren Gipson by J Mariah Images
About the speakers:
Award-winning Jamaican-Scottish designer Nicholas Daley creates clothing deeply rooted in both present and past. Community, craftsmanship and culture lie at the heart of Daley’s work. Launched his eponymous brand in 2015, Daley uses clothing as a vehicle to explore intertwining personal narrative with wider black British and diasporic themes. Find out more on Daley’s website and follow their work on Instagram.
Lagos-born, Glasgow-raised, London-based designer Olubiyi Thomas cut his teeth at Alexander McQueen, New York label Siki Im, and artisanal London label De Rien. In 2015 Thomas established his namesake label, debuting his maiden collection in June 2016 for Spring Summer. Find out more on Thomas’ website and follow their work on Instagram.
Ferren Gipson is an art historian, writer, and artist. She is the author of The Ultimate Art Museum and Women’s Work, hosts the Art Matters podcast, and is a doctoral researcher at SOAS, University of London. Find out more on Ferren’s website and follow their work on Instagram.