Midway through a showroom walkthrough with Hung La, he holds up a pair of jeans from one of the racks. They are visibly oversized with panels on each side that fold over and snap into place. Once unsnapped, the denim garment suddenly becomes a humongous square; one wiry male model could likely slip into each leg.
That the jeans are wide to the extreme is precisely the point. As La tells it, the Lu’u Dan guy is anything but average. He is assertive, defiant, nonconformist. He embodies underrepresented notions of Asian masculinity. And what he wears—whether a ‘Chicano flannel’ total look or a tarp deftly converted into a parka—becomes a way to transmit the toughness he wants to project into the world.
Putting the pause on his Kwaidan Editions, Ha is now four seasons into Lu’u Dan, an exploration of Asian subcultures that converges bespoke techniques with street style. Where the previous collection proposed various villain archetypes, this one is a more focused translation of Bōsōzoku motorcycle gangs, and specifically the Black Emperor gang that found aesthetic inspiration in punk rock through the ’70s (and was documented in the film Godspeed You! Black Emperor by Mitsuo Yanagimachi).
“It’s not just Asian, of course; we’re just looking for that authenticity,” says Ha, who is first-generation Vietnamese-American and based in London. As he speaks of “floating origins” and the fluidity of cultural movements, a model emerges in a red and black motorcycle jacket (the leather, so supple!) and ample red jersey joggers with lantern legs. While there are total looks throughout the lineup, it’s clear that pieces can be switched up and worn in multiple variations. Mostly these are elevated, everyday fits with a shady vibe. But there are more occasional pieces, too; see the full-length faux leather tunic precision laser cut with a pattern of slits as though it were some kind of samurai ceremonial piece.
Ha happens to be an excellent Model Zero for the line, which is primarily DTC but is also carried by a handful of retailers such as SSENSE and H. Lorenzo. A recent Instagram post shows him in four looks including a tailored ensemble in which the jacket is “disturbed” with elastic ribbons. Up close, the piece reveals considerable workmanship, yet he is keeping the positioning accessible. The big news is that the collection is being offered in women’s sizes for the first time, a clever evolution that ostensibly expands the brand’s own identity. Separately, Lu’u translates to pomegranate and Dan translates to bullet. Combined, they become hand grenade or dangerous man. Now, women can dress to feel dangerous, too.
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