Lucien Clarke by Aisha Causing
Cover Lucien Clarke (Photo: Tatler/ Aisha Causing)

The professional skateboarder turned designer talks about his brand DCV’87, the late Louis Vuitton menswear creative director, and the return of style from his youth

Lucien Clarke has been on a roll for two decades, and earlier this month, starting with Hong Kong, he embarked on his Asian tour of opening pop-up stores for his own clothing and lifestyle brand, DCV’87. Hong Kong’s pop-up also coincided with the opening of an indoor skate park at Hysan Place in Causeway Bay, which is where we sat down with Clarke to talk about his shift towards designing, the life lessons he learnt from the late Virgil Abloh at Louis Vuitton, and his views on the intersection of skate and fashion cultures.

The Jamaican-born London-based skater went professional as a teenager skating his way around Southbank, which is where he became affiliated with the skate brand Palace and started modelling for them. After which he also started to model for Gucci and Louis Vuitton, and it was working alongside Abloh that firmly put him on the fashion map. Today, besides DCV’87, Clarke also designs shoes for DC Skate.

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Tatler Asia
Above Lucien Clarke at the Hong Kong pop up shop (Photo: Courtesy of DCV'87)

Tell us about your brand, DCV’87.

DCV stands for “dark Clarke views” and 87 is the year I was born in. It started with my photography and putting together ‘zines—storytelling through images. Then, I thought, “why not make some clothes using those images?” 

I put them on the back of the shirt, so it felt like more of a visual surprise when you turned around. Now I’m thinking more about what else I can put out, including making more videos and even jewellery.

I want to just inspire people to be creative, to not be scared of whatever's on your mind and to put it down.

Who inspired you to start the brand?

Virgil [Abloh]. He was the one who got me into all this. [A few years ago] I made this design booklet and showed it to him. He liked it and told me I should continue, and so I started DCV’87. He was my main inspiration—along with my mother!

Tatler Asia
Above Jewellery pieces by DCV'87 (Photo: Courtesy of DCV'87)

Were you always interested in fashion or was it something that developed later?

Not really. The first time I really thought about fashion, I was at an “indie” stage in my life [as a teen]—tight jeans… and I had a black leather jacket for a hot minute. There was a group from back in the day, the Piss Drunx from the skate company Baker, and that’s who I was watching from the pavements growing up. I wanted to be like them [laughs].

What do you think about that “indie” style coming back now?

It’s kind of strange that big trainers are coming back again. I never thought that would come back, to be honest. But when I look at big DCs I’m like, “that’s fire”. It’s come full circle, and fashion is weird like that.

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Tatler Asia
Above Lucien Clarke (Photo: Tatler/ Aisha Causing)

Why do you think that skating and fashion are so intertwined?

For me, it was being young and observing fashion through skate videos. It’s a beautiful thing, because music and skateboarding have always been linked, so you get different fashion influences from hip hop, punk, grunge, metal and the rest of it. Through these videos, you’re watching what people are looking and sounding like, so you can fully immerse yourself into different aspects of whichever culture.

What projects are you currently working on?

Since designing my first shoe with Virgil [the only luxury skate shoe for Louis Vuitton], I’ve been blessed with more opportunities. Right now I’m making a pro shoe with DC that’ll be out in 2024, and I have one with Reebok coming out soon.

Tatler Asia
Above The Louis Vuttion skate shoe (Photo: Instagram/ @lucienclarke)
Tatler Asia
Above Virgil Abloh and Lucien Clarke (Photo: Instagram/ @lucienclarke)

What have been your favourite collaborations so far, and who do you want to work with next?

The most recent one with Palace x Gucci, and then the Palace x Calvin Klein campaign where I acted alongside Uma Therman for a video, shot by my friend Stuart Hammond. I have to say, she's a top legend. I was like, terrified. She's so fierce. Honestly, I was a bit starstruck—I never get like that. She's really cool.

As for who I want to work with next, Oakley. Hit me up. 

What about Hong Kong has impressed you? Any thoughts about the growing skate scene here?

In Asia, I've only been to Shanghai and Tokyo so far, but I feel like Tokyo is quite similar to Hong Kong. Everyone has a unique style, explores more, and generally has more fun with clothing. At home [in London] I feel like people think too much about it.  

Seeing this skate park, it’s huge [for indoors], and the view is sick. I'd only ever seen Hong Kong through skate videos and I’m excited to skate the city with locals.

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