Pioneering British fashion designer Joe Casely-Hayford passes away aged 62

Joe Casely-Hayford, one of the great British fashion designers of his generation, has passed away at the age of 62 after a three-year battle with cancer.

Casely-Hayford began his career on London’s tailoring hotspot Savile Row before studying at Central Saint Martins. An obituary published this morning — 4 January — on the website of i-D, the fashion magazine with which Casely-Hayford had a long collaborative relationship, praised the designer for how he effortlessly “blended detailed tailoring with a street-friendly edge.”

Over the years, Casely-Hayford dressed everyone from Benedict Cumberbatch to Jarvis Cocker, Michael Fassbender to Lou Reed. In 1992, U2’s perma-sunglassed frontman Bono became the first man to feature on the cover of Vogue. He was wearing Joe Casely-Hayford.

His clothing was found on catwalks, high streets, and in galleries across the globe.

The Guardian quotes long-term GQ editor Dylan Jones as saying, “He [Joe Casely-Hayford] was one of the mainstays of the industry in the 80s, and was an inspiration to a whole generation of young designers. His name was also one of the first British brands to gain genuine global recognition. He will be greatly missed.”

Casely-Hayford was awarded an OBE in June 2007.