Nicholas Daley in Conversation with Dennis Morris
To mark 75 Years of the Creeper, George Cox hosted an evening at The Photographers' Gallery featuring the pioneering fashion designer Nicholas Daley in conversation with the legendary photographer Dennis Morris. Part of the Dennis Morris: Music + Life exhibition, the discussion reflected the same fusion of music, style, and identity that has always defined the Creeper and continues to inspire new generations today.
Style, Music,and Image
The discussion explored how fashion and music have always gone hand in hand. Morris emphasised that music is never just sound: “It needs a package. It needs an attitude as well to go with the whole thing.” Daley agreed, saying, “You were very pioneering in that sense” for considering “the subject, the style, the shoes, the frame, everything.” By shaping how artists presented themselves, Dennis captured iconic album covers. These covers encapsulated an artist’s culture, personality, and style in a single image.
Early Beginnings
Morris also looked back to his formative
years. Guided by his mentor, Mr. Patterson, he learned to develop film. He turned his bedroom into a darkroom, using bin liners to block out the light. Without a studio, he improvised: a sheet for a backdrop, lamps borrowed from the local photography club, and handwritten cards with the number of a telephone box across the street. When it rang, he sprinted to answer, announcing, "Dennis Morris Studios." In truth, his 'studio' was just his front room.
Living the Dream, Hackney London, 1973 (Copyright © Dennis Morris)
Dennis Morris: Man with his two daughters and his most prized possession, Southall, 1976 (Copyright © Dennis Morris)
That spirit of resourcefulness carried into
his earliest projects. In Southall, Morris immersed himself in a community that drew him in by pure fascination. “I never thought of the fact that I was West Indies and they were Sikhs.” He spent time in pubs. Locals, curious about the outsider, soon approached him. This led to portraits that captured everyday life with authenticity.
Work with the Caribbean diaspora carried another layer of meaning. Families commissioned photographs to send home, often posing with prized possessions. People wanted to send images to relatives in the Caribbean, Dennis recalled. Pictures featured strategically placed objects, for example, a landline to show: “I’m doing well, I’ve got a telephone.”
Connection and Creativity
For Morris, this ingenuity was inseparable
from a deeper philosophy of connection. Photography, he insisted, is about vision rather than tools: “It’s not about the latest equipment. It’s really about what you have up there, it’s what we call the third eye.”
Equally important was the human element: “I
don’t give a damn where you come from or what you do, if we can communicate, and you’re cool, that’s all it takes. You step out of your comfort zone, and people respond.”
Daley reflected on how relevant this remains
today, with designers balancing heritage and innovation while navigating an image-saturated world. The challenge, he said, is staying true to one’s vision.
Morris closed with advice for young photographers and creatives: “Be. Be what you are. Perfect your craft. Don’t follow trends. Eventually, someone will say, ‘That’s really good.’”
It was a reminder that the most powerful work often comes from the simplest tools and a clear sense of self.
The evening spilled into an after-party at
The 100 Club, a venue steeped in subcultural history. It was a fitting close to a night that honoured the intersections of fashion, music, and identity, the very spirit the Creeper has carried for 75 years.
