DenzilPatrick SS24: A Celebratory Ode To Family

A relatively nouveau brand, DenzilPatrick is the creative brainchild of founder Daniel Gayle who started his own menswear label in 2021. Niche yet emotive, the brand has been quick to carve out a plateau for itself amongst its contemporaries. With an impressive CV working at various luxury houses, Gayle strode to speak towards London’s heavily seasoned hotpot of culture when devising his leitmotif, founding a brand that is both namesake and one that also pays tribute to his heritage. The label is officially named after Gayle’s grandfathers Denzil and Patrick who both emigrated to England from Jamaica and Ireland in the 1950s.

Using the early emigratory memories of family relocation, a suit has been used as vessel, and is seen being repurposed while used to convey the discourse between a home and an adopted home. Spanning from the 1950s, when Gayle’s family first moved to the UK, each season invites a collection that is inspired by the early days of relocation, with familial heritage being used to influence each season. Reportedly, a different family member is referenced in each collection, making this a brand that is as poignant as it is stylish.

As a queer man in my family, in some ways an outsider, I always questioned the typical ‘man’ thing; How do I identify as a man? How do I do that with menswear? So, a key element of the brand is this curiosity for British menswear; to understand and embrace the nuances of that language.

Remarked Gayle when asked about the compositions of his brand identity. Although subversion within the queer community is nothing novelty in British fashion, Gayle strives not only to subvert, but to redefine traditional codes of menswear by imbuing his label with a celebratory air and a sense of familiarity. A salutation towards the light in response to some of the other more darker designers within the queer narrative. A status quo has generously been teased with cinched waists and effeminate silhouettes, breathing a breath of fresh air to the repetitiveness of traditional menswear. However, it must be emphasized that the DenzilPatrick man is anything but girly, as can be seen from the boldness of the ensembles and the sharpness of the tailoring.

Gayle wants us to enjoy getting dressed in the morning and creates pieces that reflect both the bricolage that he employs and his inherent sense of fun, constructing a wardrobe through curiosity each season that ends up being as diverse as his heritage. “To allow oneself to be seduced by the joy of dressing” is the modus operandi for Gayle who emphasized this when interviewed and who also believes that we are too often dressing for function or for the validation of others. In short, this brand is about celebrating what it means to be unique.

SS 24 was about relocation…both physical and imagined. One culture desperately holding on to its dogma while repositioning itself within another. The intersectionality of this collection spans several nations as notes were imbued from both Jamaica and Ireland which have informed a distinctly UK syllabus. As can be observed from the trunk fashioned accessories and the meticulous layering, travel was clearly at the creative forefront. Although the collection may not allude to traveling light, Gayle made a strong point of wanting to reference a wardrobe that has been heavily influenced by his Caribbean lineage.

Titled ‘Come Home Darling’…the collection forces us to ask ourselves where home is both on the map and in our minds, and how the idea of home informs the ways that we dress. A question that resonates with those of mixed heritage and multi-cultural backgrounds.

Disrupting the monochromatic cliches of the sartorial, this season saw jubilant bursts of coastal apricot, sunset and aqua with a peppering of parrot green, lime cordial and hot magenta to keep things exciting. A masterful use of color can be observed and works heavily to this season’s advantage.

At a presentation of the collection in Central London, the models posed effortlessly in a series of obstacles, displaying a subdued grandeur reminiscent of Impressionist works. The looks came to life through the designer’s ingenious use of color, and it was apparent that each ensemble had been treated with the utmost amount of care.

“The most important aspect of any DenzilPatrick ensemble is authenticity”. To be true to oneself when bracing armor for the world. When asked where the brand sees itself in the context of other contemporary designers, a response spoke of a customer that takes pride in himself and who understands the power that clothes can have to inspire‑albeit someone who also loves to get dressed.

”A little feeling and a lot of dreaming.”