Nicholas Daley and Mangrove Steel Band Reunite For Notting Hill Carnival T-Shirt

This weekend marks 57 years since the first Notting Hill Carnival, the legendary Caribbean event that has taken place annually in London since 1966. For the second year running, British menswear designer Nicholas Daley is commemorating the festival with a collaborative t-shirt created in partnership with The Mangrove Steel Band, one of the longest-standing steel band groups around. 

Since graduating from Central Saint Martins in 2013, Nicholas Daley has long celebrated his shared Scottish and Jamaican ancestry through his designs, and his brand’s place at Carnival is a further extension of that. Last year the brand debuted its first collaborative t-shirt with The Mangrove Steel Band ahead of 2023’s carnival, with a simple red and white design on a black t-shirt with the words ‘Mangrove, since 1980’ printed on the front. This year’s t-shirt features a more elaborate design, drawing inspiration from the Mangrove Pan Rising t-shirt from 1988. 

Founded in 1980 on All Saints Road, the Mangrove Steel Band has built a rich and significant history both culturally and politically amongst the local community and have been a fixture at Notting Hill Carnival for over 30 years. Through this design, Nicholas Daley draws on the history of the band, and emphasises its enduring cultural legacy.

Catch the Mangrove Steel Band this weekend on their Mangrove Float, and at this year’s annual steel pan competition, Panorama, which will showcase some of the best steel pan groups London has to offer. 

The limited edition Nicholas Daley x Mangrove Steel Band t-shirt is available to purchase exclusively at nicholasdaley.net, with proceeds being donated to the Mangrove Charity Fund to support the next generation of pan players.