David Hockney has the kind of Cool factor that most fledging artists can only dream of. At 85 years old, the celebrated painter and iPad maestro's legendary ensembles are still held up as timeless sartorial inspo. So it comes as no surprise that this Brit – as well as fellow style icon, Princess Diana – has become the focus of Steven Stokey-Daley (of S.S. Daley) and Dan Levy (founder of DL Eyewear).
Today marks the debut of their first optical collaboration. In a refined edit of just three styles, there’s the circular shape in homage to Hockney’s trademark circular specs, an ‘80s shield design for the People’s Princess and a classic square silhouette for good measure – all of which are named after the garden squares near Daley’s flat in North London.
The two bespectacled founders were introduced by the stylist of Harry Styles and Emma Corrin, Harry Lambert. As both were fans of each other’s work from afar, the collaboration felt like a natural process that took six months to come together. The result was first aired during Daley's spring/summer ’23 show, where the Schitts Creek star was sitting front row.
“As a permanent eyewear user and consumer, I've always wanted to put my own spin on the eyewear styles of those who are regular fixtures in my collection research, such as David Hockney and Princess Diana,” says Daley in the press release. “Collaborating with Dan and the DL Eyewear team gave me the opportunity to subvert these styles with a classic S.S.Daley twist. They were so generous with their time and energy, it was such a fun collaboration from the beginning.”
Coming in classic tortoiseshell tones and with an English Rose-printed case and cleaning cloth, the designs mix Daley’s intrinsically British sensibility with Levy’s eyewear expertise – it's the first time the Liverpudlian designer has ventured outside of ready-to-wear. The collection has certainly caught our eye – it may even catch Hockney’s too.
The collaboration is available to buy from thisisdl.com for $200.
