She lives on the second floor…
Luca is an online brand selling high-fashion inspired, handpicked, affordable vintage. I chat to London-based Felicity Davies about Luca, her knack for predicting the next high street trends, and the brand’s quickly advancing aesthetic.
First of all, why the name Luca?
It was a song I used to like from an old favourite band, I named my college magazine the same thing and ended up just applying it to the website too. I liked it because it’s quite neutral; not too masculine or feminine.
What is your aim with Luca, and how are you planning on developing the brand further?
My aim for Luca was to create a website that sells affordable vintage and thrift, which will actually fit in alongside somebody’s wardrobe, in that it’s current. When vintage shopping myself, there aren’t many good, current, online vintage stores that are presented in a way that makes you excited about the product, as well as being affordable. I also was aware when making the site that I didn’t want to sound patronising, because the people I’m selling to are people exactly like me. Nobody wants to be spoken to in a corporate way by some girl your age running an independent company.
I have big plans for Luca and I’m really excited about getting them all going, it’s just finding the time! I am in the process of launching a menswear department, and I eventually want a homewares section for any little ornaments or furniture I might pick up.
Can you tell us about Luca Creative?
Luca Creative is a way for me to introduce my creative friends to people. I have so many talented and inspiring friends, I thought I would use Luca as more than just a platform for myself and my thrift, but make it more of an online boutique for the people who might be not quite ready to do it themselves. My first creative I’m introducing is my friend Susannah who’s currently a knitwear student in Nottingham. She makes these incredible jumpers, she’s always making her own clothes and it blows my mind. I can’t wait to launch her. I’m also going to have an exclusive to Luca line of t-shirts from a t-shirt company in the summer. Who knows where I’ll go from there! I’m hoping eventually people will come to me wanting to be a part of it.
How much does the photography side of owning an online vintage store factor into what you do?
I love that side of it, although I’m still learning. I feel like I can’t physically keep up with the pace my brain works at, which can be frustrating – you can see there’s a big jump between the summer stock and the winter stock. I’m always onto the next thing before i’ve finished the last one; I have so much to photograph to put online still. I’ve just bought a new backdrop; It’s one of those old style portrait grey textured backdrops, I can’t wait to use it.
What do you think it is about vintage that people adore? Do you think it will go out of style again?
I don’t think it will ever go out of style, because everything old can become fresh again in a new context. You can’t deny a well made garment; even if the cut is slightly old fashioned, the context in which you wear it in keeps it current. It’s very fashionable right now to wear vintage but I think that is because of other factors. It’s cheaper, nobody else is going to own it, and more often than not it’s of a better quality – people have realised this, and that’s why they love it. You can’t argue with that, no matter what the trends are.
Luca differs from a lot of online vintage stores in that many of the pieces are edgier than on the high street, even anticipating what stores might be trying to recreate in 6-10 months time. How do you go about predicting trends?
Ah thank you, but I don’t! I don’t know how. I just pick up anything I see that feels fresh and excites me. I’m actually bad at keeping up with catwalk trends and all of that, it all just seems to come naturally to me. I keep up to date with what the high street is doing, because I shop there, but actually I often end up leaving a shop empty handed, annoyed because I haven’t found anything I really want. A lot of the stock I have I end up seeing in Topshop marked up by massive amounts and it really pisses me off because I know I can find it somewhere else, better and cheaper.
Is there anything going on in the industry right now that you’re really excited about?
In all honesty, no! I’m a scrooge for fashion at the moment, nothing pleases me! I do like what Lily Allen is doing with her sister (see LucyinDisguise), I think its a great idea and I hope it takes off for her.
Where would you like to be in ten years time?
I’d like to be a Creative Director, I’d like to have built a credible brand with a chain of shops, an in store magazine, the works. Hopefully in ten years I will have proven myself and my capabilities to a level where other people will want to come to me for direction.
See all the pieces featured at ww.myLuca.com.
To be the first to hear about new stock, add Luca on Facebook and follow Luca on Twitter.
Article | Maisie Skidmore
frockOn© 2011
Ok, I totally know where I am shopping when I get my tax return. This line is beautiful. Thank you for showing us Maisie!
This is a great interview, it shows how a lot of girls feel about not wanting to be too high street but not wanting to spend hours and hours searching in charity and vintage stores. Love it xo
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Fantastic article exposing Felicity’s natural instinct for thrift and creative integrity.
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Ah, that’s my girl, she makes me feel so proud. I really am her Dad and love that she’s doing what she wants, she’s worked hard at for a while now and deserves to be successful, love her lots.