“It’s odd growing up as a teenager when your parents are a lot cooler than you.”

“I think, quite often, what happens in people’s minds is that ambition creates an unobtainable goal so there’s never a feeling of fulfillment,” says British fashion designer Charlie Casely-Hayford. “A lot of people go through life chasing whatever it is that keeps them motivated. If you don’t reflect on your achievements, it’s very hard to move forward in a positive way.”

Perhaps this meditative tendency comes naturally to a man who seems predisposed toward equanimity; or, it could be that his long-term relationship with interior designer Sophie Ashby has introduced in him a more well-rounded attitude. Either way, the 30-year-old, whose eponymous label is designed in partnership with his father, Joe, is careful to temper his personal aspirations with self-examination. In the often brutal world of fashion, it’s proved a savvy way to avoid conflict. “You know, the expression ‘people putting you down’ is there because it’s very rare that there’s resentment from people above you or on your level,” he confides. “I’m about everyone doing their best. I’m doing my thing, you’re doing yours. I’ve gone through my life like that because that’s how my parents brought me up. If people sense that, there isn’t as much aggression.”

Part of the fashion world since he was in utero, Charlie’s life could inspire jealousy from others. His parents met when they were both students at Central Saint Martins. In the years that followed, his father cut his teeth as creative director at Savile Row tailor Gieves and Hawkes while simultaneously developing his own label. In the midst of that, his father was awarded an OBE from the Queen. “I went to fashion shows with my sister as a kid and we had these amazing wardrobes growing up. But I didn’t really get fashion so I didn’t want to wear the clothes,” he remembers. “It’s odd growing up as a teenager when your parents are a lot cooler than you.”

Despite his parents’ considerable influence—not to mention the wider clout of the Casely-Hayford clan, who were named the most influential black family in the UK by the “Powerlist” of Britain’s 100 most influential black people in 2008—Charlie’s entry into fashion happened at his own pace. “[My father and I] got into fashion for the same reasons, but it happened independently,” he says, noting that he had studied art history at university before hand. “I’m kind of glad about the way it happened. It allowed me to find out that I wanted to go into that world myself rather than be cause both my parents did it.” Now, father and son work together in a warehouse in Tottenham, a remarkably diverse area of North London.

Charlie describes the label as a blend of two worlds— British anarchy meets the nation’s more traditional style—and treats each collection as a conversation between the two. Often, his surroundings play muse, with bold, South American–inspired prints or oversized sweaters reminiscent of British grunge cropping up in the duo’s collections. “It’s wonderful to experience the clash of people going about their lives and interacting in a quite seamless way,” Charlie says of his city.

Much like London itself, the Casely-Hayford House continues to evolve. This June, father and son debuted a womenswear capsule collection. And, Charlie says, they plan to move in a more specialized direction, developing a made-to-measure side of the business that he describes as more fulfilling.

“When you design a collection, you never see who wears it,” he explains. “It kind of leaves a gap in you as a designer—it leaves you thirsty. I think what’s lovely about bespoke is the satisfaction from both sides.” As a family-run enterprise, there’s a traditional backbone to the Casely-Hayford brand that’s at odds with the capriciousness of the fashion industry. It’s a differentiating feature Charlie is proud of. “There’s always a sense of integrity in what we do,” he says. “It’s not just about the clothes: It’s more than that. I’ve learned a lot about myself and my family from designing.”

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Photography Assistant Karin Olafsdottir