The Tamesis
Lu’u Dan hosts what is called the “Sheisty Asian Games” in the showroom, which has become a tradition. Sure enough (whether the visit was convenient or not), a group of people were playing a dice game and placing bets with newly printed Ruudan dollars.
In previous seasons, this scene reflected the darker, downtrodden characters Hong La imagined when he conceived his series. Starting this season, he changed the storyline and the main character. “A little less doom and gloom and a celebration of victory,” he said. In other words, he added, “more glamor, more prosperity.”
There’s no doubt that wardrobe still gives major gangster energy. Call it a gangster glow. In the ostentatious yet wearable category, there were prints with an obvious nod to Versace, and a red tracksuit covered entirely in rhinestones. Elsewhere, he toned down the snake motifs and bling. “I like mean characters, but I want it to be less histrionic,” he said, pointing to several all-black looks that revisited his spare “hourglass” silhouettes, like a silk shirt paired with ultra-A-line pants, now suitable for a sophisticated steakhouse dinner.
There are also some peripheral items, such as the Tiger Woods-style oversized striped polo shirt, which are more related to La’s face of clothes that make him cringe. “As a designer, you want to work on things you hate,” he said. Cueing his satirical take on G-Star denim, a pair of red leather pants, cut slightly wider but with ribbed panels, were an instant giveaway. To clarify, what is his beef? “In fact,” he reflected, “it was the guy who wore it, and now he’s the guy we’re celebrating.”
La’s exploration of marginalized men has always been compelling, and there are certainly clients (including high-profile athletes and music artists) drawn to this vibe. But as menswear trended toward more sophisticated attire, he was smart enough to develop his own interpretation. A cream-yellow double-breasted suit, for example, better showcased the tailoring skills he honed at Balenciaga and Celine. This full-length leopard-print pony hair coat combines all of his expertise into one single piece. When La wears it over clothes, the broad, structured shoulders give way to a narrower silhouette.
There’s also a deeper layer to his con man costume. La, whose father came up with the name Lu’u Dan (Vietnamese for dangerous person), is now placed in hospice care and La frequently commutes between his home in London and Washington, DC. The model he chose happened to look like his father. “This is my way of contributing to his legacy,” the designer said. “He lived a great life and I want to celebrate that.”
