Meet Bobby Campbell Luke and Jason Park, the talented design duo behind one of our favourite new brands, Campbell Luke. In the lead up to the brand’s NZFW debut, we sat down with Bobby for the inside scoop.
FQ: Tell us a little bit about yourselves, where did you study and how did you meet?
Bobby: Jason and I met at AUT in our first year of fashion design in 2012 and kept in touch after we graduated. Studying fashion with the same people day-in and day-out for three years, you become almost like family.
What made you want to start a label together?
When I was invited back to showcase at NZFW at the beginning of this year, I began thinking about the further development of the collection. My previous collection ‘Bespoke memories of a pa kid’ contained a few menswear aspects, which made me think of Jason, who had mastered the craftsmanship of menswear tailoring at AUT. I realised he would be a good collaborator and that’s when we decided to start our label together. We both have distinct cultural identities which immediately lent itself to an interesting design dynamic.
Who is the Campbell Luke girl?
The Campbell Luke girl is well aware of what she is wearing and where it comes from. She has a great understanding of natural fibres and appreciates quality made garments. She is understated, never obnoxious, and has an appreciation of nostalgia.
What is the inspiration behind this collection?
Jason is Korean and I am Maori, so the aim of this collection was to embody our bi-cultural identities and to bring together and honour our forefathers. Inspired by post-colonial Maori from Taranaki, our womenswear is based on the workwear of this period, while our menswear is inspired by traditional Korean garments from the Joseon Dynasty period. Both collections encompass the concept of “whiri kawe” or “threads bound together”, in other words, the binding of identities.
Tell us a little bit about the show’s soundtrack.
The music for the show is very somber, which creates a really warm feeling. Traditional Korean music plays at the beginning of the track, and throughout the remainder there is a recording of my grandfather talking about my home, Taranaki. In this sense you always get the sense of the binding of two cultures.
What hair and makeup looks are you loving this season?
I always love when a woman’s hair and makeup looks as clean as possible. Heavy makeup dominates the beauty industry today (what every happened to no make up?) but I like a girl to look fresh, so I go for nudes and neutral tones.
What are you going to do to celebrate after your show?
I am going to have a long sleep!
What’s next for Campbell Luke?
We would like to create more mainstream pieces to sell and hopefully go into wholesale.
