Joe Casely-Hayford (1956–2019) was born in the United Kingdom in 1956, into a British-Ghanaian family. In the early 1970s he worked as a tailor's apprentice on Savile Row and studied fine tailoring at the Tailor & Cutter Academy. From the late 1970s he designed for the music industry, making performance clothes for rock groups. In 1984 Joe Casely-Hayford launched his menswear label, with womenswear following in 1986. His signature look combines sharp tailoring and a high level of technical skill with features drawn from streetstyle and club culture. In 1992, he was commissioned by the Liberty department store to design a dress for their exhibition of contemporary British wedding fashion.

Alternative dress is deliberately anti-fashion, and bridal wear does not necessarily follow day-to-day fashion trends. The designer explores this unexpected relationship by combining alternative design elements with traditional white-wedding style. During the wedding ceremony, the bride stands with her back to her guests. Wedding dresses often feature attractive back detailing for this reason. Joe Casely-Hayford has decorated the back of his white silk dress with a metal-studded pierced heart motif, more suited to a biker’s leather jacket. The slogan, “Farewell Sweet Liberty”, is simultaneously humorous and poignant. Whilst the fabric is traditional, the frayed edges, studs, and chains were inspired by Punk and alternative clothing.