At 38 years old, Luke Radloff is carving out a name for himself, highlighting the know-how of his country, South Africa. With UNI FORM by Luke Radloff, he puts Johannesburg on the fashion map. “I want to help stimulate South Africa, to show that we have manufacturers and artisans here,” he said.
A graduate in fashion design from the Stadio School of Design in Johannesburg, the stylist trained with Jacques van der Watt and Danica Lepen, founders of the South African brand Black Coffee. “It was with them that I discovered a passion for clothing sculpture and for the almost architectural approach to bodies. »
After a detour of a few years through London, he returned to the country to devote himself fully to his own label, which he launched in 2019. “I take a lot of inspiration from the look of the street, which here is very focused on workwear. I translate this into pieces without seasonality. »
There is indeed something timeless in these creations for women and men, these large tobacco-colored linen suits, these long off-white wool dresses, these cotton shirts with slanted buttoning or these high-waisted pants. worn wide on the leg. In this locker room, no prints or garish colors. “I strive to create clothes that are rooted in timelessness rather than trendiness. This way the aesthetic becomes something clean, often described as minimal, even though I don’t see it that way. Quality clothing is far from minimal. »
His are entirely made in South Africa, in Johannesburg, Cape Town and the Karoo desert. In October, Luke Radloff was awarded the first prize dedicated to young creation set up by the Alaïa Foundation and the organic cosmetics brand Orveda. The reward ? A residency in Paris, in the archives of the Alaïa house, and the financing of a collection which will be presented during an upcoming fashion week in the capital.