In 1951, a 27-year-old woman named Althea McNish relocated from Trinidad to London with a scholarship to the prestigious Architectural Association in Bedford Square. But when faced with the realities of a seven-year degree and the seven gruelling winters that she would therefore spend living as a student, McNish changed tack: enrolling on a print course at the London School of Printing and Graphic Arts before embarking on a postgraduate degree from the Royal College of Art. It was there she developed a print based on the wheat fields of Essex – its tall shafts “tropicalised” against a backdrop of sun-baked oranges – that would soon become one of the most popular textiles of the post-war period.
Then along came commissions from Liberty, Heals, Christian Dior and the late Queen Elizabeth II: a string of co-signs that have placed McNish among Britain’s most established artists. Grace Wales Bonner and Bianca Saunders are among a number of contemporary designers who credit McNish – and the broader wave of Caribbean dressmakers and tailors that moved to the UK in the mid-1900s – with inspiring their own practice. (Bonner’s spring/summer 2025 collection featured that same wheatsheaf print on camp collar shirts and hip-slung skirts, while Saunders crafted a garment made up of a 16-layer silkscreen print in response to McNish’s oeuvre last summer.
) And then there’s Martine Rose , Saul Nash , Maximilian Davis , Jawara Alleyne , Taya Francis , Nicholas Daley , Ed Mendoza , Stanley Raffington – and countless other designers of Caribbean heritage – whose work demonstrates just how much of an outsized influence those small islands have had on clothing. Which is to say nothing of food, language, literature, music, sport..
. and every other aspect of British culture. Nowhere are those contributions celebrated more than at Notting Hill Carnival .
(Please watch this video of a teenage The Floacist and her friends from 1994 for a timeless portrait of this sprawling street party.) Alongside the usual sound systems, food stalls, and floats – “Caribbean Christmas”, as Francis puts it – Carnival will this year coincide with a pop-up shop organised between the artist Alvaro Barrington and Jawara Alleyne. The duo collaborated on a 13-foot sculpture of a dancing figure as part of Barrington’s Grace exhibition at Tate Britain, and will sell pieces from a joint capsule collection to raise funds for the Notting Hill Carnival Trust.
Nicholas Daley, meanwhile, has designed the competition T-shirts for Mangrove Steelband , which this magazine’s feature’s assistant, Riann Phillip , is a part of. “The fabric of Carnival wouldn’t exist without steelpan,” she says, “and it’s been so special to see how Nicholas manages to pull from Mangrove’s rich history and bring it into 2024. Carnival is a fashion show in its own right.
” Here, a handful of designers roll back the tape on their own memories of Carnival, exploring the relationship between Caribbean culture and London’s fashion scene, and the dos and don’ts when it comes to hitting W10. Jawara Alleyne “Being a Caribbean-Londoner lights a sense of rebellion within a person, and Carnival, for me, represents all things punk: it’s about taking up space, being comfortable in your skin, having presence, and fighting for the freedom of all peoples. Those philosophies inspire my own value systems and practice.
I went to Notting Hill Carnival for the first time with a friend who grew up in the area – seeing how someone from Notting Hill engages with Carnival is always the best introduction, because it’s all about the local communities. And there’s a practicality that intrigues me there: you want to dress for expression, but you’re also on the road, dancing for hours on end, so it needs to be practical. I think that gets to the crux of Caribbean style, too, dressing for comfort but taking sexier risks with it.
I’d love to dress Rihanna – the queen of Carnival – for Notting Hill. I could see her in a Jawara Alleyne cut-work T-shirt with a stringy miniskirt. Easy, flowy, sexy, light.
She’d wear them with Fenty Creepers or the new Puma Mostro or Speedcats, which feel quite London.” Do: Have a good sleep before. Do: J’Ouvert on Sunday morning.
Do: Visit the Alvaro Barrington stage at the Tabernacle garden. Do: Wear DIY cut-out T-shirts. Do: Take comfortable shoes.
Do: Travel light. Do: Bring a battery pack. Do: Eat Caribbean food, and don’t leave it too late.
Don’t: Go alone! Bianca Saunders “When I was younger, Carnival was all about the hype and squeezing as much as possible into the day. Now, I appreciate it differently – it’s more about the culture, the people and the heritage. I still enjoy the music and the energy, but I’m more selective with where I go and how I spend my time.
Carnival is a huge source of inspiration for me – it’s a celebration of identity, culture and community, which is central to my designs. The colours, the vibrancy and the way people express themselves through fashion at Carnival have definitely influenced my collections. As for what to wear this year, I’d suggest something bold and comfortable – think breathable fabrics and standout pieces.
My latest collection has some great options that capture that mix of London edge and Caribbean flair. There’s a certain rhythm and ease that comes with being Caribbean, and I think that comes through in both my personal and professional life. I like to let things flow naturally and bring that vibe into my creative process.
It’s a laid-back approach to life.” Do: Take in a variety of sound systems. Rampage if you are feeling for more youth, Lord Gellys and King Tubby are classics, too, but I also love checking out the smaller, more trendy sets, like Deviation.
Do: When it comes to food, you can’t go wrong with jerk chicken from a proper street vendor. I would say only go to the popular ones. Do: Pace yourself.
Carnival is a marathon, not a sprint! Don’t: Wear anything you’re precious about. Carnival is all about getting involved, and you might get a little messy. Don’t: Get caught up in one spot.
Move around and experience the different vibes, but still look your best. Don’t: Go on Monday if you don’t like crowds. Taya Francis “I would have been around 14 when I went to my first Carnival.
Coming from a smaller city like Nottingham, and being in those busy West London streets for the first time, was an adventure for my dad, brother and I. It was what I can only describe as ‘Caribbean Christmas’. And then I started going to Carnival with friends, which is when I also started to do too much, always chasing the next thing.
I’m much more content with taking it easy and going with the flow these days. I love listening to soca, reggae and lovers rock, so once I find a spot I’ll more than likely stick around one area for a while. I feel a real sense of pride in being both British and Jamaican, and I always explore that experience in my design practice, alongside my family’s narratives, traditions, and ways of thinking.
Some style inspiration for people going to Notting Hill Carnival this year: a Knit & Ting “Ten Tees” T-shirt; a Touching Base “COME DANCE NUH” T-shirt or a Stanley Raffington hand-printed T-shirt paired with lightweight jeans and your best dancing shoes. You want to be comfortable over anything!” Do: Stick to smaller groups or be OK with not ending the day with everyone you started with. It’s fun going with a large group of people but it’s inevitable that you’ll be split up.
Just enjoy the journey, and keep a buddy with you! Do: Try different types of Caribbean food. If you already know your patties and have tried enough jerk, go for something like doubles or roti. Do: Stay hydrated, it’s the most important thing.
Don’t: Leave after-parties to the last minute. Check out where you’d like to go out before. Don’t: Wear your favourite pair of shoes! Saul Nash I’ve been going to Notting Hill Carnival since I was five.
I’d always go on the Sunday – which is family day – repping Guyanese and Bajan flags, and I remember elders would always come up to me with so much pride. My fondest memory was when I went with a band called Tropical Isle. I loved the feeling of being on the road.
It’s so liberating because all the streets get locked off. I think Carnival looks a little different now, though. There are more crowds, more brands sponsoring floats, but for me, it’s a celebration of my Caribbean heritage, which has shaped the person I am and, in turn, had a huge impact on how I understand clothes.
I go because I love soca and have been brought up in the culture and so I’ll often spend most of my time on the road. And when I want to take a break from that, I hit up stages like Rampage or Deviation. I’ve always wanted to design a Carnival costume, too, probably something technical that still incorporates feathers.
Do: Eat Trinidadian food. You can get everything at Carnival, but I love to eat Trini food, so it’s roti and doubles for me. Do: The J’ouvert morning.
If you are really feeling in the spirit, it’s worth experiencing J’ouvert at least once in your life. Don’t: Sacrifice a look for sheer practicality. You want to make sure your clothes have enough room to breathe, while still being colourful and sexy.
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