Father Of Creatures- Exploring The Luca Hamers Universe
A Conversation with Luca Hamers - Exploring His Futuristic Creative Universe
‘I think if you have something to say and you're emotionally attached to your work, I don’t think you should betray that; you should try and keep your inner child a big part of what you do.’
- Luca Hamers.
Designing under his own name, Luca Hamers is a Dutch-born designer who is free from the constraints faced by many young people in the industry. One of the young, rising talents in the field of technical clothing, Luca’s design vision is truly one-of-a-kind, subtly striking a testing balance between form and long-lasting function.
A little over a year ago, Luca launched his own studio off the back of his graduate collection at CSM [Central St. Martins] dubbed ‘Shadow On The Road’ - a dark reflection of shadowy otherworldly creatures he envisions throughout his process. The silhouettes are complex, yet technical, only assisted by the construction of a waterproof Ventile fabric: bringing together two schools of thought that have yet to be married up [until now]. Upon its release, it took the world of technical clothing by storm, shaking up the footings that had been previously laid and receiving coverage from a host of publications like Vogue, Showstudio, WWD, The Face, Showstudio and 1 Granary. As well as such esteemed media outlets casting an eye on Luca’s work, he had industry veterans such as Errolson Hugh and Aitor Throup praising his creations, giving him the confirmation that he needed to take the next step in his journey as a designer.
Fast forward to today, merely a year later, Luca has a team of five around him who he works with on an organic, collaborative basis. In the Luca Hamers studio, each person is a hyper-efficient cog in the machine and plays their role to bring each garment to life. With this exponential growth the young designer has seen, it’s only natural that he has moonshot goals already within his grasp in the near future.
As Luca steps further into this future, he readies us with garments that help tackle it. He recently has just announced his first collection, consisting of a full head to toe battle armour sitting on the knife's edge of contemporary elegance and technical excellence. Here you will be finally able to wear Luca’s creations, consisting of outerwear and pants, that blends otherworldly imagination with his functional-driven fixation.
Exaggerated silhouettes reminiscent of avant garde inspirations are present in this collection such as ultra-wide trousers and nuances like the integrated bag on the jacket, but pioneering technicalities certainly allows these garments to sit in their own lane entirely. From the versatility of the trousers, changing into shorts at a moment's notice to the magnetic zippers of the jacket, all apparel on show here work harder for us, do more to make our lives easier, and look fantastic whilst doing it. Decorated in all black, Luca Hamers first collection is an everyday uniform for the modern dystopian explorer.
With this collection releasing in January, it marks a giant leap into the machine that is the fashion industry for the young designer, but he does so with insurmountable confidence. Being just the start of his vast exploration into this universe, he marks the beginning of it with a pop-up right here in Tokyo with a powerhouse retailer, Eliminator. Known for their sophisticated style and meticulous curation ethos, having these blow wind under Luca’s proverbial wings sets him to soar high without a doubt.
The future-facing designer does not stop there though. In a true meeting of minds and a full-circle moment, Luca and Sabukaru have joined forces to develop an exclusive piece of outerwear named the ‘Recluse’ Jacket that has undergone six iterations to be deemed perfect. Striking a steady footing between functionality and longevity, the jacket has been delivered through the shared lens of Luca and Sabukaru, encapsulating their shared universe through the power of garment design. To save any spoilers, you’ll have to read on and hear Luca talk about the jacket in greater detail and how it came about.
With the release of the Luca Hamers and Sabukaru collaborative ‘Recluse’ jacket looming imminently, Sabukaru sent Ali George Hinkins to take a deep dive into Luca’s world, touching base on everything design-related from his unique creative process to his self-confessed obsession with masks and veils.
AGH: Hey Luca! Thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to speak to me and allowing me to translate your thoughts and feelings to the Sabukaru audience. Can you tell us about how you got started in this field?
Luca: Hey, I’m originally from the Netherlands. As for my background as a designer, I studied at Central St. Martin's and before studying there I had a Master’s degree in marketing from Imperial. I’ve worked in a multitude of places leading up to running my own studio.
AGH: Now that I understand the kind of workplace diversity behind you, can you elaborate more on the time you spent at CSM? Talk us through the transition from CSM to starting your own studio - congratulations, by the way!
Luca: At the start, I worked in a tailoring house called Thom Sweeney - that’s obviously miles away from where I ended up, but I needed a foot in the door, you know? I needed to learn basic skills like pattern cutting and sewing . So, it was a real privilege to get a good start with some nice people there. I've worked for Daniel W Fletcher, I've worked for Liam Hodges, and then, most notably, I got to work for one of my childhood heroes, Aitor Throup. That was one of the first jobs I would say where I felt: “Yeah, this is the job I really wanted”. I think I decided nine years before I got that internship that one day I'll be in that studio. I just saw those skull bags and I thought to myself, “Whoever's making this, I need to work for this guy”. And lo and behold, I met somebody who knew somebody and the studio manager thought my portfolio fitted very well into their universe and I ended up working there during my placement year.
AGH: I’d be hardpressed to not ask about your CSM graduate collection, ‘Shadow On The Road’. Talk me through how that went and the kind of doors it opened post-study.
Luca: When the CSM collection came out people that I admire and respect kind of hit me up like Errolson Hugh who messaged me and said that he loved what I was making. If the people that I admire are really liking what I’m making then now might be a good time to really give it a go. Then, immediately after graduating, I think, like, two months after graduating or something I opened the studio and now I have a team of five people and plan to massively expand.
AGH: You mentioned Errolson Hugh so casually, so let's backtrack a little. He’s a world away from my notions of what CSM is all about in terms of aesthetic and design ethos. So what did it mean to you to get that co-sign?
Luca: In Central Saint Martins, I can confidently say I was like ‘The Outsider’s outsider’. CSM has a little bit of a house aesthetic, in a sense, and I think that what I make falls very much outside of the spectrum of what usually comes out of that school. So, it was met with a lot of resistance but I always said that if it's not what I want to make then I'm doing myself a disservice. That's how people become unhappy, doing something that they don't want. I remember being told to make the collection in colour and just biding my time, eventually at hand-in telling my tutors the coloured fabric didn’t arrive so that I could make my design without compromise. I know that I did what I wanted to do, and then to get somebody like Errolson to say that they also liked it, that was quite an emotional moment because I realised I'm not totally alone in thinking that making something from the heart is something that works.
AGH: Was it reassuring to know that people like Errolson Hugh had their eye on your work?
Luca: Yeah, people like Errolson and Adrian from Sabukaru, I'll say, these are the kind of people that I was like, I can fit in here. I feel like we have the same values and we're into similar things; the “technical crowd”, as I like to call it. People that want to make things that last, things that are personal and valuable. I feel more at home in that school of people.
AGH: I would really like to know more about the studio now which has grown exponentially in the year since you opened it.
Luca: I've learnt so much this year. First of all, the lessons I have learnt creativity-wise come from conversations with people I already knew. Aitor Throup, for example, told me about the analytical mind and the dreaming mind, kind of these two counterparts, and how in terms of creativity, he taught me that he basically used to let his analytical mind run the show rather than make the analytical mind sort of subservient to the dreamer. So, I think that's the first thing I learned this year through talking to him: dreaming big first and then afterwards figuring out how to do it.
The other thing I've learned is just that when you start a studio with a team, it's impossible to know how much work it is and I realised the reality of this very swiftly. For example, unfortunately, we had to change factories about four times after trials this year because people see these quite complex garments and fabrics and they're like, ‘Oh yeah, we'll do that’, and then you receive the sample back and it's just not up to scratch. Learning from that, we've employed a seamstress who sews everything in house which has been a major lesson: to absorb people who you think are ridiculously talented, knowing that you can't do everything yourself.
With regards to growing the team around me, I think it's been incredibly organic so people have just come along for the ride, I've met them randomly in stores, through friends and If I feel like this is a great person that should come along, I’ll get them involved.
AGH: The independence you have from running your own design studio is amazing to see, but, as we know, it isn’t sunshine and rainbows all the time. Can you tell us about some of the constraints you face?
Luca: Well, when it comes to factories and suppliers, I’ve learnt, like the people I surround myself with, that once you find a person that delivers what they say they're going to deliver, never let that person go. It’s an industry filled with promises and not that many deliver. I realised that once the product left my hands and it wasn't under my supervision anymore, the quality would fall by like 40-50% and having just chosen to take on a seamstress that can just ask us questions and and makes it in house, it feels intimate as well. I really want to serve my people the right way with the highest quality. It feels like a weird hybrid between a couture house and technical studio.
Then the realities of day-to-day, I have to say a huge part of my job is keeping everybody happy. I think the big reality of having the studio has been that you need to really be switched on and care about the people around you, and really create a little culture that you're working on something cool together. Of course, there's just the goddamn invoices which is a big part of planning your finances.
AGH: Going forward, I can see that you are soon to release your ready-to-wear collection. I appreciate the artistic integrity of your runway exhibitions but it’s also great to see you take this next step. How do you feel about finally launching to the masses?
Luca: What you don't see on the back-end is direct messages and emails I get from people saying, ‘Hey, I really want to wear something of yours,’ well, that should be priority number one, I think. I think the number one priority is to give something that people can interact with. It might not be something that you look at on a mannequin in an exhibition, but something that you can buy and it can live with you in that intimate way. I’d love to see people make it their own, style it their own way and share it with me. My creations are my creatures after all, I’d love to see how they thrive in the world. I don’t design from the ego, moreso from the excitement of sharing my creativity and I can’t wait to share it with all that are drawn to it.
That’s why taking these next steps is a true milestone for me. Having worked tirelessly all these years, my creative manifestation is finally going to be brought to the world to enjoy. Of course, I am already thinking about what’s next but I also want to take the time to truly relish in this moment, get feedback, learn from it, and most importantly keep on evolving and striving for better and bigger future releases.
AGH: This all sounds super exciting. Could you briefly talk us through some of the garments in this release?
Aside from the Sabukaru collaboration, as mentioned earlier I am also releasing my first collection. The Shadewalker trouser; an oversized, extremely draped trouser made out of Japanese waterproof cordura. It boasts external cocoon pockets that can hold 1.5L water bottles whilst maintaining great flexibility and mobility as well as a magnetically integrated adjustable belt. The trouser is made to deal with fluctuating weather; the lower legs can be zipped off and stored within the external pockets of the trouser.
The Dustman jacket is made from the same fabric as the recluse and carries the same hardware specs. This piece was more of a meditation on minimalism. We wanted to create a piece that retained all of our core aesthetics and identity but in a beautifully simple and sophisticated form. It features the third generation of our anatomically correct neckline as well as wrist adjusters, magnetic zip and our signature stormflap.
AGH: I’ve heard you talk about wear-testing your garments before so can you explain why that is an important part of the design process for you?
Luca: It's from a quality standpoint and something that I learned working at other studios as well. I remember just owning certain jackets - I'm not going to throw any brands under the bus – and knowing they hadn’t undergone this kind of testing for a number of reasons. For example, a pocket might be extremely hard to reach, when you sit down things fall out of compartments etc.
I think there is a wealth of knowledge in wearing your own garments. It allows you to be critical of your own work in a unique way. It makes you ask yourself “Do I love this more than other things in my wardrobe?”. Only when a resounding “yes” is the answer do we move forward with a design.
AGH: You mentioned Adrian before, the Editor-In-Chief at Sabukaru, so I think now is a good time to talk about that collaboration in greater detail. How did that come about and what have you guys conjured up in the process? What a match-up!
Luca: The Recluse jacket I’m making with Sabukaru is a silhouette initially developed for my CSM collection. It’s gone through six iterations to become a confluence of everything I want a jacket to be. I wanted to propose something sleek and stealthy with the same functionality and carry capacity as the “Pocket’s everywhere” garments we all know but without the bulk. It’s been a labour of love and an incredible amount of care and attention has gone into it. I wear the sample of this jacket every day and hope people will love it as much as I do.
Full Body views of the Recluse Jacket
The jacket is made of a Swiss fabric originally developed for the SAS [British special forces] in 1942 to keep special operatives dry during missions. Furthermore our hardware and trimmings are all military-grade and we share suppliers with the armed forces to ensure mil-spec quality. Our zippers are actually experimental pieces in of themselves; they close together with magnets and are manufactured in Japan. We are the world’s first to bring this to market. We also went through tonnes of button options to choose a solid bodied snaps from Italy that feel amazingly tactile.
I think this jacket was the studio’s way of finding our standard. We are constantly developing as a team but this is something we’re very proud of. Through our weekly chats, Bianco and I from Sabukaru became friends and I showed it to him and he was like, ‘We need to release that together,’ so it was really organic. I have to say they have been an incredible support as well throughout this whole collection by offering their own take on things through the sampling process.
AGH: I know it can be quite a broad question, but can you divulge on some of the places and people you derive inspiration from?
Luca: My love for futuristic aesthetics comes from consuming all these sci-fi things when I was 10 or 11 which came from my granddad who would read me things like Isaac Asimov’s Laws of Robotics which helped to shape my love for futurism. He was a city planner for the City of Amsterdam and It was his job to predict what the city would look like 100 years from now, which is when I was exposed to all these amazing theories and worldviews.
I also actually got to meet one of my heroes not too long ago, a man called Lorne Lanning who is the creator of the OddWorld universe: a series of sci-fi video games. You know how you've got Miyazaki making these fleshed out animated films and building worlds? Well Lanning is like a really dark gritty sci-fi world building master. He's just passionate about interacting with people through his medium and I learned a lot about really trying to tell the story of a brand with your narrative.
Luca Hamers Project for Stone Island
Other people I look up to massively is anybody who has a brand that doesn't change their story every year. If you look at the designers that I liked when I was younger, it's always been people like Masimo Osti, Yohji Yamamoto, Rick Owens, people that have just found what they have to say to the world. They are confident to say what they have to say every year without deviating from that core aesthetic too much. I think our path is similarly clear; we want to be the bridge between the dark and the technical.
AGH: From some of the imagery I’ve seen of the collection, can you talk about your integration of veils and masks in the garments?
Luca: Veils and masks are a huge part of what I do and it's for the simple reason that we live in the age of Instagram and publication, so vanity has become kind of a commodity - it’s like a staple of our generation now. Masks are the smallest space of privacy that you can have, it's just this kind of small space between you and the world. Outside of that, veils and masks are just something I really like to integrate within my work. I think there's something ritualistic, almost transformative, about it. Looking back at old sketchbooks, I found this mask that I did for my Stone Island project; I would just sit with the book in front of me, start sketching and I would find myself starting with a mask - it seemed like such a natural starting point. It’s an obsession and I think it allows people to see the garment as a living thing they inhabit, envisioning themselves in it without the connotation of a model or lifestyle.
Some of my thinking can be traced to a book called How to Disappear by Akiko Busch about the intrinsic value of being a recluse and how there is tremendous value about being in the spotlight but there's also tremendous value in privacy, having a conversation with yourself first before you commit to anything in public.
AGH: What does your creative process look like? How do you set about designing a garment based on a sketch?
Luca: It usually starts with obsessive drawings of an archetype; a creature that keeps showing up day after day in my sketchbook. I suspend my critical mind and play with organic shapes this way to find unexpected forms. Once it’s at this stage the urge to create and manifest it usually takes over from there. The technical part of me then weaves into the creation providing a base in reality through functionality. I’m not the kind of designer that can just say: “Right, we’re going to make some trousers today!”.
I need the process of creating worlds and creatures in my mind to distill into wearable pieces. It would be easier that way but It’s simply not how I function. I think my inner child just wants to keep playing and my brain comes along for the ride.
AGH: And to round things off, I couldn’t have you leave before hearing more about your pop-up happening at Eliminator in Tokyo. Huge congratulations on this monumental feat. Are you able to shed any light on this at all?
Luca: Well, first of all thank you! It's really a dream come true, and not only that but it's a real match made in heaven orchestrated from my good friends at sabukaru. Eliminator is one of those stores that you walk into and it's so well curated and has such an ambiance to the whole place that it creates an often rare feeling in fashion of belonging. It feels as if the store has been intuitively made for me and my creative universe. The curation of different brands, garments, footwear, and accessories on show is next to none, so to have my first collection here is something I'm incredibly proud of and can’t wait to see it come to life.
Luca Hamers x Johnny Terror Tshirt Collaboration
As for what we will be doing, I can’t reveal too much but it’s only round the corner. You’ll have to keep an eye out and if you’re in Tokyo please come down and see us. What I can tell you is that my first collection will be exclusively available in store here in Tokyo before a worldwide release. People will finally be able to touch, feel, and experience my garments for the first time and immerse themselves in the vision I have created. Having been a lifelong fan of Japanese designers, to premier my collection in the heart of Tokyo is a true full circle moment for me.
Thank you, Luca, for your time!
Luca Hamers will premiere his first ready-to-wear collection on Saturday 14th January at Eliminator Tokyo and a week later in Paris at a secret showroom.
For further contact go to Luca Hamers.
Ali George Hinkins is a UK-based writer who is currently contributing to eye_C Mag, Sabukaru Online and other clients. Alongside this, he runs his own website where you will see him cover a broad range of topics with a particular interest in technical clothing, from performance-wear to outdoors gear. Striving to provide content outside of generic media output, he immerses himself in the realities of those working inside the industry and translates those stories.
