Luke Roper – A Chequered History
Luke was the son of a talented wedding dress maker and throughout his childhood was constantly exposed to cutting, sew ing, altering & pattern drafting at his Walsall home.
With all of this going on around him it’s no surprise that by the age of twelve he was already adept at using a sewing machine and he soon became interested in the whole process of the production of garments and began to develop his skills
Throughout his school years he continued to experiment with the design and construction of garments and by the age of 15 he had started making shirts for his friends. Within a few months he had developed his burgeoning ability to incorporate trousers too.
On leaving school Luke enrolled in a fashion and textles course at his local Walsall College . It was around this time that he and his friends were beginning to go out to the local pubs and house-clubs which created an increasing demand from others for his shirts & trousers. Garments that were stylish and individual but still perceived as being ‘masculine’.
In 1997 Luke earned a place at Central Saint Martins College of Fashion in London where he began a 3-year specialist menswear design degree. He soon became well known for his edgy, detailed but ultimately practical designs, pieces which often incorporated his trade mark quirky sense of humour. During the 3 year period he attended Saint Martins he became fascinated by traditional tailoring techniques which inspired him to begin making suits. Now there was a real following for his creations from a variety of people from friends and colleagues to well known celebrities.
Upon his graduation Luke took the position of junior designer with a major brand in order to hone his skills and develop a deeper understanding of the industry, setting down the ground work for starting his own label. He had set himself a target of 3 years work experience but in May 2001, after only six months, he began the collaboration with his life long friends, Simon & Deborah Poole which saw the creation of the ‘Luke’ label
