MAKER: Luchis Royster
BUSINESS: Luchis Luchis
EARLY INFLUENCE: Luchis Royster discovered his passion for fashion at the age of 13 by watching his mother, who was a seamstress. “I wanted her to make a shirt,” he said, “and she told me, ‘You’re pretty handy. You could do it.’ So I said, ‘I’ll try’.” She provided the fabric and a pattern, and began to show her son how to cut and construct the shirt. “I did it, and I was in love with it ever since,” Royster explained.
LEARNING THE TRADE: When Royster decided to expand his skillset and learn how to not only make clothing, but also do tailoring, the first step was to go shopping. “I would go to the Goodwills and the thrift stores, and I’d buy an old suit and take it apart to see how it was put together," Royster said. He taught himself how to design and make handbags the same way – by finding old purses and taking them apart.
INSPIRATION EVERYWHERE: “I watch, I look, I see what women are doing.” Royster said he can get inspiration for a new design idea just about anywhere – malls, concerts, magazines, and even architecture. “One day I was riding down the street and I saw this church, and I looked at the stained glass, and I got a design out of that.”
THE NEXT BIG THING: Royster is currently making efforts to market his handbags to Cleveland and beyond. “I really want to get my bags out there. I want everyone to know and carry my bags,” he said. “I want my bags to be as famous as a Michael Kors. That’s where I want to take it. As far as I can.”
