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Daniel Gray

Profession
Freelance stylist and assistant
College
London College of Fashion
Person Type
Alumni
Daniel Gray

Biography

Tell us a bit about yourself?

I am a small, very backward thinking Northern Eastern seaside town. I moved to a larger town to study fashion design in college before moving to London as soon as I turned 18 to study at the University of Westminster before moving to London College of Fashion to study Fashion Styling and Production.  I graduated in 2019 and am currently based between London and work internationally on a regular basis.

What is your current job title?

I work across a large creative spectrum of roles. My two main roles at the moment are a freelance stylist and assistant, working across celebrity, commercial, editorial etc. with talents including Madonna, Christina Aguilera, DJ Snake, Little Mix, Nike. Within this I also do brand and celebrity style consultation working with young designers and creating business plans to get their projects press and revenue.

I also work for the largest queer creative agency in the world who represent drag queens and queer talent across the world throwing huge shows, parties and festivals as well as performing alongside talent including the Spice Girls and Girls Aloud.

Which course did you study at LCF and when did you finish it?

I studied BA Fashion Styling and Production from 2016 and graduated in 2019.

Interview

Why did you choose to study at LCF?

I wanted to go to a university that allowed me to network and collaborate across different fields of study. Before coming to LCF I had completed a 2 year design course and a year business course at the University of Westminster – I then wanted to utilise these skills in creating my footprint in fashion media.  I work with people I was collaborating with at LCF now on huge industry projects – you never know what something will lead to.

Why did you decide to study BA Fashion Styling and Production?

I wanted to combine my business and creative practice so far to build something. I didn’t know what – but I knew it would be something. After speaking to the tutors of the course at open days and during my interview I was extremely inspired and felt like they understood my creative vision and would allow / support me on my journey to that.

I loved how the briefs were extremely open so that we could create pretty much what we wanted as long as clothing was a part of the language.

What did you enjoy most about your course?

Again, it was the collaboration between other courses and the freedom to develop my own voice in the current fashion sphere.

What did you choose to focus on for your final project?

I decided I wanted to create my own narrative visual journey based on the current queer climate in East London with queer spaces closing on a weekly basis and compare this to the collapse of Weimar society. I created a magazine, fashion film and products that were all an abstract performance piece celebrating queer talent across London.

I found the research process extremely rewarding – I went out every night talking to everyone I could in the London and Berlin queer scene finding talent and interesting stories.

What have you been working on since finishing your course?

Since graduating from UAL I have been working on queer events which include the Melanie C x Sink The Pink tour as well as continuing to style and assist across a range of platforms.

Did you always know you wanted to pursue a career in fashion?

I wouldn’t say ‘always known’, when I was in school I was a dancer then I majored in art and loved clothing. I had no idea that 6 years down the line that performance, art and fashion would be my job. It was almost a natural progression for me.

For you, what's the best thing about your job?

The People! I get to work with the most talented queer people in the world on projects we have to kick ourselves to remind ourselves its real.

Producing work that is progressing LGBTQ+ rights and awareness across the world is extremely rewarding. And we have a lot of fun doing it!

Jack & Jack styled by Daniel Gray for notion magazine, 2018, shot by Harry Nathan

Any exciting upcoming projects you can tell us about?

Most projects are very hush hush but on the 17th August we have a street party with Nadine Coyle! with 10 hours of entertainment from over 50 queer performers in Finsbury Park. I also have a lot of special fashion projects coming up over fashion weeks with a LOT of photo-shoots.

What are your plans professionally for the next few years?

As pretentious as this sounds I don’t like to think about it because if someone told me 4 years ago I would be backstage with a Spice Girl and 20 drag queens I would have laughed.

So who knows what the next 4 years will bring – maybe I’ll be famous? That’d be nice.

Styling work by Daniel for METAL Magazine x William Dill Russell

What advice would you give to potential students who would like to enrol on BA Fashion Styling and Production?

Get involved in EVERYTHING. Go on nights out, go to exhibitions, go on dates you know will be bad, go skiing – whatever you get offered you need to do. The fashion styling and production industry is interested in who you know, what you’ve done and what you’ve seen. You never know where one drunken conversation at a bar will lead you. I always say my career started from a frozé (frozen rosé). And when jobs start coming in and the industry is accepting you you need to stay humble. We’re not in the 90’s anymore.

Links

London College of Fashion

Contact

Telephone

+44 (0)20 7514 7400

Address

105 Carpenter's Road
London

E20 2AR