In Conversation with Loho Kur: The Author of Deviant

Photo from @lohokur on Instagram.

A few evenings ago, I was invited to Loho Kur’s Bow based studio by the man himself. Over half an hour, we discussed his roots, his self-inspired mythology and his ascent from leafy Feltham to the megalopolis of New York. The author and creator of Deviant by Loho, Kur is intuitively crafting a legacy, and what’s better, we’re here for the beginning. Here is the exclusive transcript of our conversation:

Harry: So, let’s start off here. You've said, “I traded the monotony of spreadsheets for the canvas of creativity.” You've spent some time working as a software engineer and a technology consultant. While it seems you're breaking away from that monotonous corporate mindset, does your experience ever factor into your work? Even if it's something that you want to propel yourself away from? 

Loho: I’m twenty-one now. I got that consultancy job when I was eighteen, it was a degree apprenticeship. It was cool. It was a very prestigious course, and it would have set me up for a lot, corporate-wise. But that's not the route that I thought I was for, if that makes sense. Yeah, I mean, I was always doing fashion. I was always creating things. Not even just fashion; I was always world-building.

Harry: From what age did you start fashion?

Loho: Fourteen. I started my first brand when I was fourteen, just printing t-shirts in a shed in my friend's garden, dip-dyeing t-shirts. Saved up some pocket money from my mum. I was skiving that whole week off school, but I managed to save around thirty pounds, bought like three t-shirts. And then from there, I just started experimenting. I would iron on our logos with printed paper, like print iron paper, that sort of stuff. So yeah, I started the brand stuff kind of early, and when I was eighteen working in Canary Wharf, it was cool, but it was very monotonous, very structured. 

Harry: Even [in Bow], you have that beautiful London blend of modernity and that from the past; there’s a soul to it. Whereas I've always seen Canary Wharf, like it's amazing to look at, but it's soulless in a way. Would you say that you share that sentiment? 

Loho: It was very soulless. It felt like just one big soulless university campus. I didn't really know the impact it would have on my headspace until I was in it. I found myself getting down just with the monotony of going in and not having that diversity and scenery my brain needed. I grew up in Feltham. It’s on the border of West London, and it's just filled with trees and horses; there’s nothing really there. It's just landscape and beautiful valleys, and meadows. I would come back to an almost Narnia-type world and then would have to go into a rigid, monotonous, black-and-white place. 

Harry: And that's where ‘Felthoria’ was born from. 

Loho: It's a feeling, like that feeling of being able to come back home to somewhere that you're familiar with. Somewhere that feels like home, something that gives you that euphoria. 

Harry: I'm the same. I was raised on the coast of Liverpool on the beach, and that’s what it’s like for me. I think that everyone needs to go away from London every few months and for me, going home, going back to the beach, just being by the sea, I get that connection and that feeling. So, staying on this point, what I find quite inspiring is that despite having a brand that's only just over a year old, you've made it a mission to help others chase their dreams by consulting them on their brands. To quote you: “I've learned firsthand that chasing your own dreams is not just a cliché - it’s a necessity.” Can you tell me more about that, and have you had many creatives approach you? 

Loho: I’ve had a few in the scene. I came up in the whole UK underground scene, underground rap, underground fashion. I met a lot of amazing people along the way, and there's so much talent in the underground. I don't even like using the word ‘underground’, I'll be real. I think it kind of diminishes the sheer gravity of people’s talent, but there’s so many people and there's so many ideas floating around and I was like, yo, I have to give help out in some way. Shout out to Teddy, he just left the studio now. We were speaking about what it means to build a brand. What does it mean to build a world around your brand? How do we make people feel the same way that we feel when we make the clothes?

Harry: Do you consult on anything outside of fashion as well?

Loho: I'm friends with a couple of music artists, rappers, and singers. So yes, when I'm in discussions with them, it's like, how do we build a brand around your sound? Like, okay, cool, there's a sound that people know you for, but then what's the world that they get transported to from that sound? I just feel like world-building is at the core of any sort of consultancy. Consultancy comes from me being a consultant at eighteen in the corporate world, and being able to translate that to fashion is cool. 

Harry: That's really cool. You've sold hundreds of pieces, some that you designed in just four minutes,  followed by hundreds of pre-orders, initially in just 72 hours, which is incredible. It's quite obvious you've struck gold somewhere in the market as if everyone's been waiting for something like you to come along. What do you think caused your instant popularity? 

Loho: I've never really seen myself as being like this popular thing or like an enigma that people have to figure out. I just like to kind of push the idea of what it means to have a story and a piece. So one of my first pieces is called ‘jeanz that deviate’. I was going through some tough times, my brother was ill. He was going through a lot of mental health things, and that really impacted me. It must’ve been in secondary school, going into college. It impacted my view of the world. I was sad a lot of the time because of what was going on. I grew to discover what mental health was, and I was able to take that, turn it and manifest that energy into creating a product, creating art, like wearable art. So, ‘jeanz that deviate’, have a big frown of stitches on the mouth with ‘x’ eyes and that wasn’t to be edgy.

Harry: It’s as if you’re imprinting your feelings on the actual product. An emotional canvas. 

Loho: What other way am I going to do it? I might as well just show it with a big red embroidery patch. Other kids my age were going through the same thing, probably. That's why, I guess, it became popular because it was so relatable. Here was a sixteen, seventeen-year-old selling his story to other sixteen, seventeen-year-olds, that they could relate to.

Harry: I guess that's with any brand, you know, there isn’t just the aim to reflect the times but also to reflect the emotional response to the times. It’s as if a brand is a breathing entity itself. It goes through feelings, you know; there are darker collections, and there are lighter collections. But that’s interesting, how you literally imprint your emotion onto the product. 

Loho: It's cool. I'm so thankful fashion allows that sort of expression, you know? I feel blessed that I'm able to do that through fashion. Then there was ‘jeanz that mediate’, the second iteration, so series two. ‘Jeanz that deviate’ had these horns on the side to show just the sheer gravity of how I was feeling. ‘Jeanz that mediate’ didn’t come with the horns. That pair, with its silver-infused, distressed denim backing, that pair offered you a choice. Now, you could put the horns on from your previous pair of ‘jeanz' on those pair of ‘jeanz’. But ‘jeanz that mediate’ was for you to make a decision. Are you still going to be in that state of melancholy that holds you down? Or are you going to work to alleviate those burdens? That's what I was doing at the time; I was in corporate and I was working. I was just alleviating all of that weight that was on my shoulders. That's where ‘jeanz that alleviate’ came in. 

Harry: You're allowing the consumer to not just wear the 'jeanz' designed as they are, but you also allow them to go through that same experience, somewhat. By taking off and applying the horns, you let the 'jeanz' be a kind of medium through which they can apply their emotions in a way, would you say? 

Loho: Yeah, it was literally kind of like an outlet of emotion. The enthusiasts - I don't like to call them consumers or fans, but the enthusiasts of the message. When 'jeanz that alleviate’ came, obviously it was my most viral product and it's crazy how the final piece in the trilogy was the one that blew up. I think that happened for a reason because of the symbolism behind ‘jeanz that alleviate.’ So you've deviated, then you mediate between whether are you going to change or not, and then all the burdens are alleviated. 

Harry: Like you’ve had an outcome, a solution. 

Loho: Yeah, a solution, and it all just flowed beautifully. I was twenty, so that series took about around three-ish years to put out that story. One thing I was talking to Teddy about today was, he was like: “Why don't you drop more?" He was coming from the idea of having more variation within the brand, and I said that if it takes me two, three, four, five, or ten years to tell the story of one piece, I’ll do it. I'm not here to flood the planet with products. Yeah, it's a business, but it's like art is at the root of it, you know?

Harry: Have you trained anywhere, or are you entirely self-taught? 

Loho: Entirely self-taught; I didn’t go to fashion school. I was just a kid with a dream. I watched YouTube videos of Virgil Abloh giving advice on the 3% rule, and I was like, you know what? I want to be like that. I grew up on the Internet, so as a kid, I always used to animate online. 

Harry: Well I’ve seen you use it in your advertising as well.

Loho: Yeah, so it all followed through. I grew up watching ASAP Bari, Luka Sabbat, Virgil Abloh, all those guys that formed that kind of scene, and I thought it'd be cool to have that in the UK, to be a part of something like that. So yeah, bringing people together, I love to be a part of that and trying to make that sixteen-year-old me happy, to fulfil his dream of being able to have like-minded people around him.

Harry: That’s a really beautiful way to think about it. To quote you: “World-building throughout your brand is essential. Without a story to tell, it's hard to form a connection with the product and, ultimately, the brand vision.” This is something that I couldn't agree with more. Creating a brand is more than just the product, it's creating an aesthetic, an identity for the enthusiast, as you say, to fall in love with and to want to be a part of. How would you describe your brand vision, and are there any inspirations that contributed towards its creation? 

Loho: I really like If Six Was Nine. That was the first brand that I fell in love with in terms of these pieces being so intricate. It's denim. If you wore one of those pieces, it's going to last you generations, you could pass that shit down to your kids and they could pass that shit down to their kids. That's world-building. 

Harry: I've always thought that denim, above all materials, is the material of storytelling. It lasts, and it shows stories. If we were to take it into a broader context, we have a kitchen table at home, and it's just a rustic block of wood. My mum doesn't mind if it gets battered or dented or whatnot because it shows memories and tells a story. I feel like that's the same case with denim. 

Loho: I can tell you, from my original pair of ‘jeanz that alleviate’ at home, the day I ripped the hem at the bottom. I know how I was feeling when I ripped it. I was pissed. Like, I was happy and that's my story being told. So yeah, that's world-building. Being able to select a fabric, select a canvas of expression and then run with it. For some people, it's wool, for some people, it’s knit; for me, it's denim.

Harry: I can also admire your ability to make fashion playable, as we spoke about before. Beyond putting the clothes on, you've created a whole lore behind Deviant by Loho: ‘Felthoria.’ On Discord, those who follow your story can choose factions in ‘Felthoria,’ like it's a video game of sorts, each having its perks for buying from your brand. You've even asked that your enthusiasts help name your pieces, such as ‘Promise.’ Do you view Deviant by Loho as a brand, a journey, or more of a collective? Is this inclusive approval important to you? Do you think it sets you apart from other brands? 

Loho: It’s the story told by Loho Kur; it’s actually a book. Did you see the profile picture on Instagram?

Harry: A big metal book.

Loho: It's a big metal book and in this book are all the pieces that I will release. There's going to be 1001 that I will do and after that, once the 1001st piece drops, I will get rid of the brand. I'll delete the brand because that’s the story. 

Harry: How far along are you? 

Loho: Right now, we've got like nine pieces out. So we've got a while to go.

Harry: But it's exciting, isn't it? And all good things must end; the story must be finished. 

Loho: That day will come. I grew up playing video games, I was so online as a kid; I used to be on Minecraft a lot. There was a game mode online called factions and it was intense bro like, you'd log off and then log back on and find out your shit has been raided, bro. Factions was like, real life bro, so why not bring that to high fashion? And who is going to tell you not to do that if it's your brand?

Harry: So, going into the Deviant pieces, I feel they evoke this world of ‘Felthoria’, especially the piece ‘Western Nomad', which to me, when I looked at it, gave a perfect blend of, as you described before, underground, urban punk and then surprisingly that of a fantasy story. To me ‘Western Nomad' was as if the wearer had been on this quest and had been levelling up along the way and adding items to himself. From the chain mail on ‘Divine’ to the debossed grails of the Deviant shield. Tell me more about this image that you create with your pieces. 

Loho: ‘Nomad’ is the idea of being able to take a piece, for example, taking a hoodie and wrapping it around your waist and calling it a half-skirt. Like reinventing pieces based on their pre-existing silhouette. So, yeah, ‘Western Nomad', he did travel through ‘Felthoira’ and collected these things and just put them on in a way that was armour to him. ‘Divine’, she found this skirt that was able to make her float and her chain mail just hung from her. ‘Pilgrim’, she travels through the Arctic, so she’s got these big snow boots. That was a styling series with ByBenét. All these different pieces come together and tell a story of what we do in real life, bro. We go into a wardrobe, find different pieces, put them on and base them on the story that we have online at the time. ‘Nomad’ is just an exaggeration of that, but it's everyday life, you know, that's what people do, just trying to show what people do, you know. 

Harry: Brilliant. You once tweeted “I am Denim”, and I think from looking at your work that you've truly mastered its versatility, bringing what's essentially a working material into borderline haute couture. The other materials you use such as furs, leather, and metals, cohesively give this raw look connected to the wilderness, like what has been obtained along the way. The overall look is distressed, it's somewhat intentionally unfinished. Does that equate to an unfinished journey? What message are the materials telling?

Loho: The materials are organic; they scream organic. They don’t scream ‘I’m going to shine in the sunlight at a certain angle’ and give a glare that looks uncanny. It screams, ‘I will absorb the sunlight and will absorb its essence.’ You know, I'm really into space. I love space. If I were to go back to uni, I'd study quantum physics bro. Entanglement theory, two particles being able to influence each other millions of years apart, millions of distance apart, I loved that type of thinking. So clothes should, in my opinion, reflect what we do organically. We absorb the sun, you know. We get vitamin D from that. It's so nice being able to see clothes that have been affected by the sunlight. I don't really want to see none of that synthetic stuff. Faux fur is cool though. At least none of our furry friends are getting abused. That's my opinion. 

Harry: So you subscribe to this idea of storytelling in imperfection? In weathering?

Loho: Yeah, weathering, erosion. If you look at this mat [indicating a craft mat on the table], it’s cut, there's erosion, and in this wood, there's erosion; it's not meant to be picture perfect. ‘Nomad’ isn’t picture perfect; it’s all over the place. 

Harry: You've already had pop-ups in New York and Paris. How did they go and what did you learn from them? Any more to come? 

Loho: I love Paris; it’s like my second home. I love New York as well. Most Deviants are from New York. I swear it's where the majority of my sales are coming from, so shout out New York. I love you, New York. It went beautifully. I met so many people out there, that I'm friends with to this day, and that I collaborate with to this day. They opened my eyes, like, I'm a London boy. Not even that; I'm a countryside London boy. I grew up in Feltham, like, it takes an hour and a bit to get into the city. I grew up around horses. You know, I had to walk through a horse field to get to school. So it’s being able to travel to a different city, speak to different people, coming from a small town. 

Harry: Do you think that's part of the appeal for people from New York, would you say? Bringing London to them, especially this type of London that you evoke through your clothing.

Loho: They appreciate it. I hope to make more cool stuff that they can appreciate. 

Harry: Would you want to go anywhere else apart from Paris, New York and London?

Loho: Tokyo for sure, that's a must. Harajuku denim. They appreciate craftsmanship, so it would be nice for them to see that. I do get a lot of people from Tokyo cop the brand, so it's cool to see that there. But like, I have to go there. They even just live very blissfully, from what I see.

Harry: Last one, with the lore and aesthetic that you've built behind Deviant by Loho and with how runway shows are becoming more and more experimental and engaging, given the opportunity, would you want to go to this format?

Loho: Of course. The runway will be under Loho Kur; again, Deviant is a story of which the pieces are told. But there will be elements of ‘Felthoria’ in this runway. I want to bring underground rap culture to it as well, fusing the two. But yeah, I have something planned. I won’t tell for now, but yeah, this year is definitely seeing some cool stuff. Runway, that’s my goal.

Harry: Have you done anything kind of similar before, or has it purely been pop-ups? 

Loho: I had a party at London Fashion Week and that was intentional because it was foreshadowing my runway. Getting people ready for it.