Lucky Nahum
Passionate. Sexy. Free. Intense. Alive.
Lucky's textured palette of emotions is as sensual and vibrant as his line of apparel. His designs are an expression of his philosophy—and a way for his customers to say something about who they are, too.
A double-collar shirt from Lucky's "x te da me" collection.Take a look at his work and you'll see why. The Rochester, NY, fashion designer is a seasoned craftsman and merchant whose chosen canvas has been clothing for more than 30 years.
“I was born into it, my father was a Master Tailor and my mom a Master Seamstress,” he says of his parents, Quint and Angela Nahum, who emigrated from Libya with Lucky and his brother, Armando, in 1967.
Since he first opened a store in Rochester back in 1978, Lucky has grown into a full-fledged designer. He began to design and sell silk fabrics and ties to top men's stores around the world 16 years ago.
Today, his little fashion empire, Always Get Lucky, Inc., has evolved into collections of shirts, neckties and scarves. Designed in Rochester. Made in Italy. For real.
Lucky“'Made in Italy' is a misnomer known throughout the industry—that's extremely important,” he says. “That's why my labels don't say 'Made in Italy' but rather 'Really Really Made in Italy.'”
Lucky used to sell his collections to high-end boutiques around the globe. Today, he leans toward direct sales, selling his clothing—and pieces by designers such as Bill Lavin and Vivek Nagrani—through alwaysgetlucky.com.
“I continue to redesign the business model under which the fashion industry has worked for decades,” he says, explaining that the pressure for higher margins isn't worth the battle with retailers.
He prefers instead to reach people through outlets such as Facebook and Twitter.
Rochester model Michael Murphy strikes a pose in one of Lucky's fine shirts. Photo by Rome Celli.“Social networking is my main form of marketing,” he says. “I also have a following that I have built over the years and collections. Brands seek me out.”
One exception to his direct-sales model? You can find his pieces at Eye Candy Clothing, a boutique in Rochester's East End.
“My decision to have Eye Candy carry my work had everything to do with being part of this community. [Owner] Nadine Ball and I worked together on lower margins so that Rochester could, in the end, be part of something it had indirectly contributed to,” he says.
You might think fortune has smiled on a guy who has success sewn into every garment. But being Lucky has nothing to do with luck, he'll tell you.
“I have lived long enough to see luck exist, but I don't see it as a wise game-plan to wait for it,” he says.
“In the end, I believe in creating your own luck.”
See more: www.alwaysgetLucky.com
Say hi: info@alwaysgetLucky.com and on Facebook