LUC LA ROCHE
Interview with Luc La Roche
You're
frantically packing your suitcase for a week of carefree bliss on a
remote foreign beach, abandoning the land of voicemail and spilling
latté. The feeling that you forgot something haunts you halfway
over the Atlantic until it hits you - "I forgot my Luk!"
No need
to worry. The Luk collection travels as much as you do, if not more.
Prolific Montreal designer Luc La Roche has been purveying a unique
blend of street-wear and haute couture to North America for over a decade,
and for his Luk ready-to-wear men's label since 1998. The brand is renowned
for stylized and streamlined underwear, swimwear and loungewear. We
met the designer in his spacious uptown production house. "My
designs have a sensuality tempered with good taste, a sexuality not
widely available in the U.S.," says La Roche. A well-rounded
collection means good news for shoppers. Luk's trendy and comfortable
brushed cotton separates can be worn to suavely impress both on a professional
and an after-hours basis. The perfect gift for a special man who likes
to mix the two.
Flying
his chic objets desirés to the bedrooms and beaches of Europe
is next on the horizon for the Montrealer, who's on the cusp of securing
a distribution deal in Florence, Italy. With international sales in
select European capitals already in place, La Roche stands as a formidable
candidate to carry the Canadian fashion torch overseas. Lise Gagnon
of The Bay's downtown Montreal location notices a distinct clientele
for all things Luk. "The label is definitely
popular with European customers who want well-made, exclusive Canadian
fashion. It's literally flying off the racks."
