Rokit Meets | Unlocking Vintage Style With Lucinda Graham

Lucinda Graham, a 27-year-old creative hailing from Northern Ireland, has seamlessly blended her curiosity-driven creativity with a passion for fashion and secondhand styling. In this exclusive interview, we delve into her accidental journey into the world of fashion, her commitment to sustainability and vintage clothing, and her advice for those new to the world of secondhand shopping.

Hey Lucinda, can you tell us about your creative background?

I’ve always been deeply interested in the world and what’s around me. I think true creativity is curiosity, so I’ve always been fascinated with clothes, jewellery, drawing, nature and anything really. I was a very inquisitive child because I spent a lot of my time indoors / away from “real life” because of disability and health issues.

How did you get started in fashion and styling?

It was a very accidental and organic process for me. I used to have a store on ASOS marketplace back in 2015, and I would dress friends and bloggers who were comfortable in front of the camera, and then I was like - Oh - I really like doing this? And people then started asking me to dress them or make them pieces. I was in art school studying fashion at the time so it was a very symbiotic process. That led to being a part of a fashion collective in Belfast where we used to run the city’s only fashion raves which were super queer led and just an overall safe space to turn a look and express yourself.

What have been your favourite moments in your career so far?

The next one!!! I try not to dwell too much on what I’ve done in the past, because I think that can inhibit how you move through life. I’m proud of who I am in my career, I think holding onto your kindness and integrity in all your work is the most important thing.

How do you incorporate sustainability, second-hand and vintage clothing into your creative work and/or personal style?

I’ll always choose to work with vintage or from samples of independent designers whenever I can. I make a lot of my own clothes and almost only wear vintage or my own creations. I think there’s so much more room to say new things with languages, especially playing with references!! I think that the most creative people and the best dressed people work from a reference point. For me it’s usually from an 80’s vantage point. I love using really chunky socks like lady diana, but with outfits you wouldn’t expect, like adidas tracksuit bottoms (vintage of course!!) Getting dressed and styling is just playing dress up, and I like to let the clothes lead as much as I can.

Can you share an example of how you've used vintage pieces to tell a unique story or create a specific aesthetic in your work?

An editorial shot for bricks magazine last summer featured a lot of sustainable and independent designers, so I knew that I had to use vintage to pair with the looks for extra visual interest. For example, a vintage Victorian era medical girdle, in pale pink with all the fastenings, paired with heavy metal aesthetics, crosses, heels, adidas and silver tones. If I have a vintage thing that feels in one way - feminine, I like to play with it and juxtapose it as far from its original intention.

Do you believe vintage/secondhand clothing contributes to creative expression? If so, how?

ABSOLUTELY. All the best dressed people wear vintage.. it’s just a fact at this point. You also look after your pieces much more when you know that they are truly a one off and I think that contributes to a more sacred style. I think like I said when it comes to references, wearing vintage allows you to play so much more, like mixing y2k tracksuits with 70’s leathers etc.

What advice do you have for individuals who are new to vintage shopping or are hesitant to explore this sustainable fashion option?

JUST GO FOR IT!!! Buy something that you need first, like a leather jacket, a coat, or a hoodie, and just ease yourself into it. Also look at who’s style you like and challenge yourself to recreate their outfit through only vintage!

Interview by Izabel Rose

Visuals by Lucien Pinchon