Meet: Luke Christian, founder of fashion brand DEAF IDENTITY

“When you tell them you’re deaf and they still send a voice note.”

I chuckled when I saw this quote, printed on a T-shirt and worn by a deaf model with a beaming smile.

Intrigued, I clicked on the link underneath this online image and discovered a fashion brand, DEAF IDENTITY, that’s been set up by deaf designer, model and lifestyle blogger, Luke Christian.

Through his website you can see a range of clothing for men, women, unisex, children and a special Christmas section. DEAF IDENTITY even has its very own set of Christmas cards where Rudolf is said to have a very shiny red… hearing aid/cochlear implant!

DEAF IDENTITY is the first fashion brand I’ve seen where sweatshirts and T-shirt’s are adorned with the BSL alphabet or with tongue in cheek phrases about deafness. You can even create your own quote to be embroidered too for your very own bespoke piece of clothing!

I spoke to Luke to find out more about this range of BSL inspired fashion range and the experiences that spurred him to set up his own business.

Hi Luke! So first of all then, tell us about you

My name is Mr Luke Christian, I was born deaf and I come from 4 family generations where the deaf gene is strong and prominent throughout! I recently launched DEAF IDENTITY in September 2019 and DEAF IDENTITY is a fashion brand aiming to break down barriers and stigmas surrounding deafness.

I love fashion myself and always have done so I wanted to merge my love for fashion whilst raising deaf awareness but in a fun, chic and light-hearted way. I wanted to create a brand that was all about the customer, so I set up the e-commerce website (www.deafidentity.com) where you can personalise what you would like to be printed in British Sign Language!

Customers can also select the option of what colour clothing they would like, whether they would like the text shown next to the BSL Letter or choose one of our tongue in cheek phrases!

It was also important to me that there was no plastic involved in the packaging and that the quality of clothing was made from 100% organic or regenerated cotton.

My role is pretty much everything! Creating the designs, packaging, social media, PR, the website and it’s rather humbling to me when I get asked ‘who’s on your team?’ because it’s just little old me!

How did your love for fashion first start?

This might sound dead cringe, but I remember being in Spain about 7 or 8 years old on holiday with family and friends and we got asked ‘What do you want to be when you grow up?’ All the other kids at the time wanted to be something dead serious and professional and I remember saying ‘fashion designer’ (I was really into my sunglasses back then) and my parents said ‘That’s fine! Just look at Joe Bloggs!’ I mean, the sentiment was there at least…

Kate Moss has always been my idol growing up and following her career throughout fashion has then inspired and further grown my love for the industry. I have always been more interested in style rather than trend and I just love how clothes can make a person feel and when you feel good, it radiates throughout.

Have you encountered any barriers in the fashion industry due to your deafness?

I wouldn’t say barriers so much, but I’ve had some ignorant comments such as ‘oh, you don’t look deaf!! I would never have known if I hadn’t have seen your hearing aids!’

Whilst I’m not working at DEAF IDENTITY I blog full time about Male Grooming & Lifestyle and often do fashion shoots with other brands, so whilst some people have said these sort of comments to me before, others have been inspired by the way I flaunt my hearing aids so it’s definitely a positive if that happens!

These sort of comments actually inspired me to launch a phrase ‘WELL YOU DON’T LOOK DEAF’ onto clothing because I wanted to throw it back out there to the public and for them to perhaps second guess and realise that it’s not acceptable nor does it even make any sense to say that to somebody anyway!

How does your deafness affect your work life, what equipment or methods do you use to make things easier?

I wear hearing aids, I use speech and use BSL too. Being deaf affects me the most when I’m out in public, at events or out on the night. I find it a little intimidating when things are too loud and have often turned my hearing aids off when it’s overwhelming!

With ‘DEAF IDENTITY’ what do you aim to produce in the brand, and how did you decide on the name?

Growing up I was always told how to be and always felt as though my deafness was up for debate.

‘You have good speech so you’re not deaf.’ ‘You wear hearing aids so you’re deaf.’ ‘You don’t look deaf.’ ‘If you can’t sign then you’re not deaf.’ ‘How many times do I have to repeat myself? Just turn your hearing aids up!’

So I wanted to create a brand that shows that it’s okay to not feel like you have to fit into either world, it’s about how you identify as a deaf person yourself that matters and that nobody can tell you otherwise!

I initially wanted to call my brand something different, but when I went for a meeting I kept hearing myself say ‘identify’ over and over again because I was explaining that there’s no right or wrong way of being deaf and then it clicked! That’s how DEAF IDENTITY came about and I think it says what it needs to say without saying too much.

I aim to show that deafness is a spectrum, there’s no right or wrong way of being deaf and that deaf people can do anything they want.

I would like to achieve a strong brand that gives deaf people a platform to highlight and raise awareness. In a world now where diversity and equality is being highlighted and spoken about, I still feel that deaf people are forgotten about and are the last people to be considered, so I aim to change that.

I would love to work with strong deaf people who know their own DEAF IDENTITY and want to empower others who perhaps aren’t so confident with theirs. All of the models I have used (and will always use) are all deaf or CODA, it was and is so important to me because again, it’s all about giving deaf people a platform.

Where do you see DEAF IDENTITY in ten years time?

Crikey, that’s a scary thought! I know some people might eye roll this but I genuinely had no idea how DEAF IDENTITY would be received in the first few months let alone where I can see the brand in 10 years time, but, I think in 10 years time I can see DEAF IDENTITY growing and developing into other avenues…

What advice would you give to others who would like to set up their own fashion line?

Keep a clear vision and think of the bigger picture. In terms of practicality, buy in bulk!! The amount of times I’ve ran out of stuff sooner than I thought I would but I am very grateful for this though!

Is there anything you’d like to share with our readers?

You can contact us at hello@deafidentity.com with any queries about your customer order or any general assistance that we can help you with!

If you would like to work with us as a model, collaborator, influencer, artist, photographer or freelancer then please email at luke@deafidentity.com

If you would like to know more about me and what I do, then my blog is www.mrlukechristian.com and you can find me on my social media channels using @mrlukechristian.

Thank you to The Limping Chicken for interviewing me, I really appreciate it and have a wonderful Christmas everyone!

The website for DEAF IDENTITY where you can order and customise your chosen clothing is – www.deafidentity.com

Instagram – instagram.com/deafidentity
Twitter – twitter.com/deafidentity
Facebook – facebook.com/deafidentity