As a kid, designer Larry Luk says he was drawn to Atlanta. The Arlington, Texas native says his decision to move to the Southern city was inspired by the 1996 Olympic Games being held here. A West Midtown dweller, he’s called the city his home for about 15 years.
After graduating high school, Luk moved to Atlanta to attend Emory University. There, he studied a handful of the arts, majoring in Interdisciplinary Studies in Society and Culture and touching on subjects including film, music and visual arts (he wrote his thesis on the rise of the .mp3 format and how it transformed the music industry). After that, Luk studied design at the Portfolio Center and went on to land internships at agencies such as Armchair Media and Unboundary, while also taking on some contract and freelance gigs. In 2009, he co-created the streetward brand We Are The Process, and since 2012, he’s been a designer and marketing lead at local marketing and branding agency Son&Sons.
Luk chatted with CommonCreativ about collaborating with big brands like Complex and Nike, what it takes to start a brand and his goals as an artist.
CommonCreativ: What did you want to be when you were younger?
Larry Luk: I wanted to play shortstop for the Texas Rangers. I wanted to be part of a team and wear the uniforms and the cool sunglasses they wore in the ‘90s.
CC: What sparked your interest in art and design?
LL: My first awareness of design was probably through sports. I collected baseball cards and baseball caps because I loved the team logos. I was exposed to sneaker culture through Andre Agassi and Michael Jordan. I just had to have their shoes! I would draw sneakers during art class in elementary school — shout out to my parents for nurturing this passion and occasionally splurging on the $100 price tag, which was a lot of money at the time.
CC: What do you think have been some of the influences to your design style?
LL: Street fashion and sports aesthetics have been the strongest influences on my personal style and on my work.
Photo by Jack Whitman
CC: What have been some of the highlights of your design career?
LL: Doing a sneaker illustration storefront activation at the Nice Kicks store in Austin, Texas during SXSW 2014 called The Takeover. Traveling all over Asia to work on various Coca-Cola projects. Working with Complex on an Air Max Day feature in 2015. Creating a brand, We Are The Process, and seeing it worn by complete strangers and celebrities — super flattering! Speaking at a Portfolio Center graduation ceremony in 2015 and speaking to Emory University students about a career in the arts earlier this year.
CC: What have been some of your biggest design projects or clients?
LL: Some recent projects that I really enjoyed working on at Son&Sons [include] working with Ponce City Market on their recent print and digital campaign. I even got to hand-model for the campaign. Next time you see that billboard on I-75 South — that’s my hand! Also, creating a brand, campaign, and event to celebrate the launch of The Roof at Ponce City Market with Plywood People and The Kyle Korver Foundation called Putt! Putt! Putt!. Working closely with decision makers at Nike to shape an inspiring and inclusive diversity and inclusion strategy for their internal workforce.
CC: Tell me about We Are The Process.
LL: We Are The Process is a brand created by me and some good friends from design school. At the time, streetwear celebrated being from NY, LA, and other major cities around the world. We’re proud of being from Atlanta, so we decided to start making clothes we wanted to wear with a nod to the city. The name “We Are The Process” refers to the toil, labor, and learning that happens when you’re creating something new for yourself and for the culture you want to be part of.
CC: What do you think about the ATL arts scene —where it is and where it’s headed?
LL: The ATL arts scene is largely influential. I especially see it in street art and music. I get super excited when I’m in another city and I can point at something and say, “You see/hear that? That’s ATL at work.”
CC: What projects or collaborations do you have in the works?
LL: I just finished a collaboration with a home furnishings company out of Seattle called Spilled. I created a couple of sneaker-themed rugs honoring my two favorite sneakers of all time, the Air Jordan 1 and the Nike Mag from Back to the Future 2. I [also just joined] Localeur as Director of Brand & Partnerships. Localeur aims to help travelers discover authentic, high-quality local recommendations on the best places to eat, drink, shop, hang out, exercise, and make better use of their time spent exploring new cities. Currently, we cover 35 major cities in the U.S., but we will be expanding to more cities and into the Caribbean, Latin America, and Europe in the next calendar year. I’ll be bringing my design background and marketing strategies to help make the brand and product stronger while also working to bring our content to the right people at the right time. I’m aiming to have a solo art show in Atlanta at some point in the near future. It’s a goal I’ve had for a little while, but I want to make it happen in 2017.
CC: What’s your ultimate artistic goal?
LL: I want the world to see my work. The more eyeballs, the better.
CC: Any last words?
LL: Atlanta is the wave. Let’s make something happen together!
See more of Larry Luk’s work on his portfolio site and his Instagram.
