House of Lucent is Leading By Example

By Olivia Cigliano

House of Lucent is a standout star in sustainable and ethical fashion production. Based in Capetown, South Africa, creative director Laura Ferreira honors transparency in fashion and sought to create a brand that celebrates the craftsmanship of clothing and the community it's made in. House of Lucent’s garments tell a story, from the plants the materials are made of to the hands that craft them. After only two years, the slow fashion brand represents the future of fashion innovation. 

After winning the South African Fashion Week 2019 New Talent Search last October for the AW20 collection, and being awarded a company mentor and 60,000 rand grant, House of Lucent has grown in creative ability, industry recognition, and potential. 

“I've always wanted this,” says Ferreira. “This was always a lifelong dream of mine to be able to have a clothing brand that was successful and helped the many hands of those involved.” 

Ferreira was working in a clothing manufacturing company when she found the inspiration for her brand. Grateful for the bonds she formed with the men and women working “behind the scenes” on the production floor, and her appreciation for their craft, she wanted to create a company that celebrated the value of their work. “And so they were my true inspiration,” smiles Ferierra. “Lucent means ‘glowing’ or ‘giving of light’. And that's exactly what I wanted to do. I wanted to be able to shed some light in the clothing industry.” 

Ferreira believes her customer is forward-thinking and conscious of her consumption, so it’s important that the brand is transparent, by sharing the entire value chain from the beginning of the product to the end. The House of Lucent website offers background about the factory the garments are created in, and the brand’s Instagram features an ongoing Story series entitled “TransLucent” which showcases the individuals that bring Ferierra’s designs to life.

“To be able to be on these platforms and connect with all these other people around the world through what they've done their entire lives... to be able to give them that platform to share and be able to open a dialogue with their voices, I think there's nothing cooler than that.” She recalls an evening in which an employee invited her to have dinner with her and her family, “To share a meal with them and talk to them and have that relationship with them, it means so so much to me.” Ferreira and her team, she says, are in a constant exchange of knowledge and support, which enables them to form wonderful connections and create magic together. 

The magic sparks Ferriera’s design process, which is often more conceptual than technical. From there she imagines how the product can be developed most sustainably, whether it's the way she cuts her fabrics, arranges patterns, or her use of cotton, tinsel, and cork. Also, House of Lucent’s packaging is biodegradable and acid-free, and if there’s any printing it’s made with water-based inks.

“I really try and look at the entire business model and think, ‘Okay, how can I improve this?’ and ‘What is a better way for the consumer as well as the planet?’ And I think that gives us a bit of a unique spin on things compared to other brands.”

Ferreira chooses to lead by example in sustainability and recommends to clients, artists, and brands to make small choices that add up to a bigger impact. “Show them the way as opposed to, you know, giving them so much information that they are unable then to take those steps by themselves.”

I had to inquire about House of Lucent’s innovative Pineapple Waist Belt and how she got the idea for pineapple leather. 

“So initially, I read an article about this beautiful textile that had been created that was completely plant-friendly and I was so intrigued by it. So I had ordered some, and it had arrived and it was quite an interesting feel and look and texture. I visited one of the factories here in Capetown and it was beautiful and they took me on a factory tour.” She gushes, “I love visiting factories, it's probably very weird to some people but I absolutely love it.”

“I thought ‘Let's make something that is classic and contemporary that you can live in forever.’ Every woman, whenever she's leaving the house, grabs that last accessory, and that's often a belt to elevate her look. It was a very exciting challenge to be able to create something that is usually animal leather and then make it into something completely alternative.” 

While House of Lucent shows the fashion industry what ethical and sustainable product looks like, the worldwide COVID-19 crisis is forcing designers like Ferreira to adapt their work practices.

“Usually when it's a photoshoot, new product launch or new campaign that's dropping, I always look for different studios, photographers, makeup artists, and models and all of that, but for right now I'm trying to take a step back and kind of condense the entire process and make sure that every one that is a part of it is safe and feels comfortable,” she says. “So for my upcoming shoot, which is towards the end of June, I've decided to do it in my studio, the model will be doing her own makeup and it will just be myself the model and the photographer, instead of sourcing other locations at a time like this.”

“I think it's time to just kind of retract and look at how we did business before and what worked and what didn't, and how to make it work with the resources we have now.”

House of Lucent is producing Face Masks and, for every fifth mask sold, donating to the Twyg Magazine  #GiveToMake mask initiative.

As for the future of the industry, Ferreira loves the idea of digital runways. “I definitely think it is the future,” she says. “My Spring/Summer Collection which was supposed to showcase in April at a fashion week. So that's obviously been postponed. But we are looking at doing it in a digital way, so that will be later on during the year.”

“And I definitely think it's important to move with the times and still keep your customers intrigued and seeing what's new and what's innovative and unique. But I don't think I'll ever be completely digital, I mean I like being able to check in on our clients and figure out what they like and what they don't like, so that will always be a very important element to me. So I think that there’ll be a nice balance between digital and real life.”

So what’s to come for Ferriera and House of Lucent? 

“So at the beginning of this year I actually had a very exciting trip to Morocco and I met with a group of ladies that worked and collaborated with me on my upcoming collection so I'm very very excited to showcase that. It included weaving and fabric painting, and it was just really an exceptional experience. I'm quite excited to show everyone that collection. It's coming soon.”

Follow House of Lucent on Instagram @house_of_lucent and Facebook @HouseOfLucent and visit HouseofLucent.com.