Then. Now. Still. Heritage Knitwear Reimagined

This campaign reclaims what’s always been ours: heritage knitwear reimagined by the youth who define what’s next. Knitwear’s having a moment. We’ve had decades.

The Autumn/Winter 2025 Legacy collection reconnects with an era that cemented our place in British subculture when Lyle & Scott’s knitwear became a symbol of terrace cool, worn with pride by the Casuals of the 1980s. “Then. Now. Still.” is a statement of continuity. It reflects our enduring presence in knitwear, our roots in youth culture, and our belief in timeless design that moves with the times, not away from them.

Shot in characterful pockets of London, this section pays direct homage to the iconic July 1983 Face magazine feature that first called the movement “Casuals” in print. Commissioned by editor Nick Logan, the piece was co-written by Kevin Sampson and Dave Rimmer under the headline “The ins and outs of high street fashion,” capturing how young football fans adopted designer luxury labels Lyle & Scott among them as their match day uniform.

The photos that made it central to our brand’s heritage were shot by music and fashion photographer David Corio in east London’s Wanstead Park at dusk, packing real edge authenticity into grainy, candid images of teenage Casuals wearing Italian knit polos, Tacchini, Ellesse and Lyle & Scott jumpers all long before the mainstream caught on. As Corio himself reflected, he was drawn to howand how they wore the clothes with pride, signalling a self-designed, underground style that spread organically across cities like Liverpool, Manchester and Leeds.

Our shoot reimagines that moment with five contemporary talents: Noah, Slewwy, Jonah, Marley and Aiden, whose diverse identities reflect today’s Britain. We followed them informally across gritty streets and peeling paint backdrops, capturing unscripted laughter, football kick moments and group dynamics in a raw, documentary approach. In parallel, we shot editorial style portraits that nod to the sharp styling of the original, but with polished modern lighting and composition. The result is a fusion of unfiltered youth culture and fashion forward poise.

This campaign doesn’t trade in nostalgia. Instead, it channels the attitude, authorship and authenticity of that original Face shoot, reframed for a generation that still looks to knitwear as both uniform and statement. It draws a direct line from Corio’s dusk lit Casuals in 1983 to our modern youth wearing Lyle & Scott today.

“This is knitwear worn how it was always meant to be: without irony, with pride, on the streets not just the runways. From ribbed tartan crews to knitted v-necks and merino quarter zips, each piece blends archive inspiration with modern wearability.”

Used across OOH, digital and social, Then. Now. Still. is more than a campaign. It’s a cultural recalibration. It positions Lyle & Scott not as a brand chasing youth, but as one that’s always been part of it. Honest, grounded and still unmistakably us.