Lucien Clarke and Eyedress seem in our Fall 2023 Situation with cowl stars Scowl, Yves Tumor, Poppy, and Good Charlotte. Head to the AP Store to seize a replica.
Since 1994, DC Footwear has been ingrained in various tradition. The model, co-founded by Ken Block and Damon Manner, has put out hanging footwear, attire, and equipment through the years. Alongside the best way, DC has related with plenty of progressive skate boarders, snowboarders, and artists across the globe. Now, its inventive director — skater and streetwear nice Lucien Clarke — has dropped a deeply private collaboration with the model known as DC x DCV’87. The chunky shoe arrives in black and brown colorways with glossy suede blocks and serves as a tribute to his Jamaican roots.
Learn extra: Angel T33th, Hooks, and Nic Shaya exhibit DC Footwear streetstyle
To seize the marketing campaign’s lookbook, Clarke traveled again to his birthplace with fellow DC and Palace skateboarder Kanin Garner and photographer Julian Klincewicz. It’s a novel contact that makes the venture really feel all of the extra intimate. It additionally stays clear that with this debut, Clarke has proved himself as an unboxable inventive who’s at all times bursting with concepts. On the core of every little thing he does is a deep appreciation for originality and risk. To get into all of it, Clarke linked with lo-fi singer-producer Eyedress, an online-to-IRL good friend made via their mutual love of skating. Right here, Clarke explores how he was thrown into the world of DC and the eye-catching new drop, which is offered now.
EYEDRESS: Your shoe seems to be sick. There’s a pic of you within the water with the shoe — it jogged my memory of El Topo. It’s [from] the man who directed The Holy Mountain, however he makes this movie along with his son, and so they go into the desert. It’s a surreal movie. You want to it. In any case, what have you ever been as much as?
LUCIEN CLARKE: Simply been right here, man. I moved studios, [but] I damage my knee, so I’ve simply been chilling. I sprained it badly, so I’ve been doing these items extra. I didn’t do something to my ACL — it was only a unhealthy sprain. They mentioned sit back for a pair months. So, I’m fortunate. The way you doing?
EYEDRESS: Man, dwelling in LA, being a dad. [Laughs.] Doing the music factor, you already know? It’s been good, although. I signed with RCA. I left that label I used to be working with once we made that video. I nonetheless attempt to faucet in and make beats, and I labored with Dean [Blunt]. I labored with him, after which I bear in mind we introduced you up, and I used to be like, “You already know Lucien, proper? As a result of he fucking loves you.” He was like, “Yeah, we go approach again.” I used to be telling him how we related.
I’ve been following your skating without end, after which I noticed how your imaginative and prescient was popping out via your model. I used to be actually impressed by you. As somebody who skates and does different issues, that’s the place I’m at. I skate, and I do music, however clearly, I don’t skate as severely as you. It’s been a giant a part of my life. It formed how I have a look at every little thing. You’ve accomplished lots. You’re a humble dude, although.
CLARKE: I’m making an attempt to simply preserve it open as potential — probably not having any construction or like, “Oh, you must just do this as a result of that’s what you’re good at.”
EYEDRESS: You’re fascinating. You do plenty of good things and looks as if you maintain your group down, too, like once I received to fulfill a few of your folks. All optimistic issues. However yeah, I’ve simply been right here. Making an attempt to grind, make some new hearth songs. I made some shit with Dean. I gotta sing on that quickly.
CLARKE: Go into that, man.
EYEDRESS: I’m such a shy man. You know the way Razy [Faouri] is at all times with me, my photographer? Razy is like, “Yo Dean, can I get a pair pics?” And he’s like, “Nah, mate.” [Laughs.] He’s actually elusive.
CLARKE: Positively. I haven’t seen him in in all probability two or three years now. A time in the past, he used to reside at this flat and have events and jams and had devices all over the place. There was at all times a vibe in it, principally.
EYEDRESS: What’s your imaginative and prescient for all these items you’re engaged on?
CLARKE: Principally, ’trigger that is the very first thing I’ve accomplished with DC, that is extra private. I really feel like this was deliberate in a approach. Whether or not it was aware or not, all of it simply made sense, actually, out of all the opposite shoe manufacturers and whatnot. That is what I received inspiration from, from approach again. Josh Kalis was like, “You’ve at all times received a house right here.” It’s a line of stuff that’s taking place, after which it’s simply into this now.
EYEDRESS: You flew out to Jamaica, proper?
CLARKE: Yeah, simply with the ability to play with the OG — that shoe, the only real, after which proper into the “it’s not a fucking sport” on the heel. Then we’ve received a zine popping out. So, it’s gonna are available in a shoebox, and it’ll have a zine, and it’ll have one of many hats.
EYEDRESS: How’d you get in contact with DC?
CLARKE: It was initially Michael Minter. He’s the highest man that does all of the decision-making and shit. That was ages in the past. We have been talking a bit bit then, after which it was like, “Effectively, I’m doing this.” Then clearly with Virgil [Abloh] passing, Kalis reached out and was like, “Sorry to your loss. You’ve at all times received a house right here.” Then it simply developed from that, principally. So Kalis actually put it on the map.
EYEDRESS: You at all times received concepts, although. Did the DCV factor click on in your head immediately when that occurred?
CLARKE: Yeah, from a time in the past. That’s what I imply about it type of being deliberate as a result of clearly Louie was by no means meant to final. The shoe that we made was influenced by outdated DC sneakers that I used to skate [with].
EYEDRESS: I used to have DCs, and so they simply would by no means rip. I bear in mind asking my mother, “Can I get some new sneakers?” She’s like, “Nah, these are nonetheless good.” There have been no holes. They received fairly loopy materials, for certain.
CLARKE: It’s simply loopy how from that dialog to this now being the primary rollout of the opposite shit I’m doing. Let me present you the professional one.
EYEDRESS: That is some unique. It’s the evolution of the Louie shoe a bit.
CLARKE: Yeah, and that’s the subsequent one.
EYEDRESS: It seems to be like its brother. That one’s sick. Is that glow-in-the-dark or yellow?
CLARKE: It’s fluorescent, like inexperienced or yellow.
EYEDRESS: When your knee heals up, you higher get a clip in that. I like each. It’s good you bought a brilliant one after which some low-key ones.
CLARKE: All grey.
EYEDRESS: This might go together with some sweats.
CLARKE: Then additionally all-white ones, like Air kind, after which there’s fluorescent orange and fluorescent pink.
EYEDRESS: That’s loopy. You can put on all black after which simply have that on. Once you get the choosing, it’s gonna be tremendous reflective, proper?
CLARKE: Yeah, that would be the second one which comes out, and I’m engaged on another shit the place it’s contained in the air bubble. There’s two bits, the again and the entrance. Then it’ll have lights in it, within the air. You’ll be capable of skate in it, but it surely’d be extra like trainers. There’ll be lights in it, and you’ll flip it on and off. So when folks see you, you may see your little two-step.
EYEDRESS: Are you able to please deliver that shit again? The one folks doing which can be youngsters. You gotta preserve that youthful spirit intact. Persons are again out. You see that shit out, you’d be like, “Let me take a pic.” It’s hearth.
CLARKE: That is giving me full management over it, which is nice.
EYEDRESS: They gotta belief you. You bought the attention for it.
CLARKE: I’m hype. It’s good it’s beginning to occur.
