The inspiration comes from all sorts of places and genres. From Luke’s favourite artists and designers from the past – Cecil Beaton, Oliver Messel, Jean Cocteau, David Hicks, the Bloomsbury Group, to contemporary books and novels. Places he has visited, music and history are also sources of inspiration. Luke freely combines several inspirational sources in his designs and describes that “A fabric might be inspired as much by Ancient Egypt as it is by 1980s pop music.” No matter what he does, and where his creating spirit come from, it is colour – in every form, that is the bearing detail in his work.
“The world can be quite grey and grim, so it makes sense to me to embrace bold colour. I have always loved surrounding myself with colour – living with it, wearing it, making things with it. I suppose it’s about optimism; I find colour to be very happy-making. Small things make a big difference. For example, our hallway at home is painted bright egg yolk yellow. When I come home from work at the end of a long day and open the front door, my spirits are instantly lifted.”