The main reason I wanted to bring designer Luke Walker onto our series of talks was his experience working at both fashion brands (Lanvin, McQueen) and classic menswear (Dunhill, Drake’s).
I love what he does at his own brand, LEJ, and we talk about that towards the end. But he has a particular insight into those two types of company, and how the design process works at both, that I've never heard before.
It’s easy for consumers of traditional menswear to be cynical about fashion. It’s all overpriced, for people who want to wear a label, to sell perfume and handbags. Much of that is true, and Luke talks about how that has come to dominate fashion in the years he’s been working.
But there’s also beautiful menswear, that Permanent Style readers might love if they were exposed to it. Fabrics you never see anywhere else; unique colours and yarns; ideas of proportion and design.
Luke talks about an incredible velvet jacket he kept from his years at Lanvin, about the work of Haider Ackermann at Berluti, and about Katharine Hammett cutting up pieces of vintage clothing.
This is a world we never talk about on PS, and it was great to hear about it first hand. Towards the end we come full circle and talk about how design worked on something like the Games Blazer at Drake’s, when Luke was there.
I hope you enjoy it. Apologies for the occasional audio issues, but watch out for the question at the end about chest hair.
The next talk, in mid-November, will be announced soon.
Previous interviews in the series:
- Rubato, on their brand and style
- Tony Sylvester, on style and subcultures
- Ethan Newton, on the evolution of Bryceland’s
- Jamie Ferguson, on his career in photography
