Devon Halfnight LeFlufy’s Deconstruction

Devon Halfnight LeFlufy began his Fall/Winter 2016 collection with a quote from French philosopher Jacques Derrida: “Justice is deconstruction.”

“I reinterpreted this as a call to finding calm within chaos, which is an apt analogy for where contemporary culture is today,” the Canadian-born, Belgian-based designer explains. “Information moves so quickly and this made me want to simplify my visual vocabulary down to only the essential elements,” he continues. “I am always looking to create something that looks toward the future, but at the same time looks backward.”

LeFlufy, who began his fashion career in his early 20s, did not grow up aspiring to become a designer. “I was more interested in music and skateboarding when I was a teenager,” he says. Looking back now, it’s easy to see how his early exposure to skate culture has influenced his designs—from the use of the black duster in his most recent collection to the general grunge-tinged aesthetic presented in all of his pieces. For the 31-year-old designer, his eponymous label is an “aesthetic exercise.”

“I am always working around subculture and the effects of the Internet. It is very interesting to translate this into a modern wardrobe proposition,” he says.

Educated at the famous Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp, LeFlufy was shortlisted for the LVMH Prize last year and recently sold his MFA collection to Opening Ceremony. Though he began his career as a menswear designer, earlier this year LeFlufy showcased a range of carefully crafted sportswear for both men and women at New York Fashion Week: Men’s. “My relationship with fashion was rooted in my own experiences with clothes and subculture. Therefore, I found a security in designing for men,” he says. “The response to the women’s wear has been fantastic; Le Bon Marche in Paris was the first store to pick it up.”

FOR MORE ON DEVON HALFNIGHT LEFLUFY, VISIT THE DESIGNER’S WEBSITE.