Ludget Dulcey

by Simon Chung
Photography: Yoonhee Jo

Ludget warmly greets me with a wide smile and motions for me to sit down as I walk up to the cafe. Ludget Dulcey, the founder of Dapperlou.com, a menswear blog that features street style photography as well as fashion editorials, looks at ease and is impeccably dressed as we talk over a casual lunch.

CultureM: Tell us a little about yourself.

Ludget: I’m a menswear blogger and photographer born and raised in Brooklyn, NY. After high school, I interned at Jakob Schlaeper, worked as a stylist for an online magazine, an editor at Essence magazine, and assisted with shoots. All around me was women’s wear, and a part of me was not fully satisfied — there was some sort of disconnect, something missing. I decided to branch out and start something on my own, so I started a small magazine publication, and soon created DapperLou.com.

C: Your website – it’s pretty well known in the industry. What inspired you to start a fashion blog?

L: Well, the internet is such a great medium. There are so many blogs about women’s fashion, but not many centered around menswear.

C: How do you decide who to photograph for your blog? Is there any specific look or style you find yourself drawn to?

L: It’s kind of organic. I go with a feeling… an emotion. I shoot when I see someone that makes me jump. I have to be inspired to cover an event. I don’t do events just because it’s work. I want my readers to be engaged.

C: How would you describe your personal style?

L: I went through a lot of phases. I love color. I mix traditional menswear looks in a modern way, and add a twist. I love to take a look and make it very specific to me. I guess you could say it’s like the way women think, but with a men’s perspective. I’ll see a trend and mix it in a way that is so specific to me that only I would coordinate it that way.

C: Some people are born with a sense of style. Were you always fashionable from a young age?

L: Oh yes. The first day of school, I would harass my parents to go shopping. I would plan for the first week of school, I wouldn’t even care about studying or know what classes I have… I would just spend my allowance and loans on clothes!

C: You’ve also been featured in many magazines, cookbooks, and radio shows, including GQ, Vogue, and Nike. What do you enjoy more, being in front or behind the camera?

L: I guess I like both. I always wish that I was 6’1″ to be a model, but I’m not. So, part of me likes being in the light, but I also love that I’m not a random guy that’s taking pictures. I mean, I wouldn’t mind being anonymous with my work, but I find happiness in the appreciation people take in my work.

C: Are there any fads or a specific article of clothing that you look back at now and regret ever wearing?

L: I never regret, because when I wear something I can pinpoint that time in my life, and the reason why I did it at that time.

C: Really? Nothing you ever really regret?

L: Hmm, I don’t regret anything in the last two years… there was a jacket, it was in my Michael Jackson phase. It was a little awkward, but I still try to work with its awkwardness! Oh, back in my first two years of high school: fitted caps.

C: You were born and raised in Brooklyn. Can you imagine yourself living anywhere else?

L: Yeah, but only the big cities. Paris, London, Milan, or Tokyo.

C: Take us through a typical day in your life.

L: From early in the morning I’m out in showrooms to preview collections. I shoot street style in the afternoons or maybe shoot a collection or a boutique. Then it’s off to an event at night, and when I get home I spend the rest of my night uploading and sorting through everything.

C: Sounds like an eventful day. What do you do when it rains? People aren’t usually out for you to shoot.

L: There’s plenty to shoot! I love rainy days and cloudy days, the lighting is beautiful.

C: I often like to sit at cafes or coffee shops and just people watch. Are you the same way? It’s a great way to find people to photograph.

L: Actually, I never sit around. I’m always on the go. I can’t stand staying still! I need to constantly be moving… doing something. I like to capture a moment and the next second I’m gone.

C: For the rest of us that are less-than-fashionable, what are some must have pieces for this winter?

L: Okay! There are these boots. I’m gonna show you a picture. I am obsessed. The Grenson UK shoe. I love them. I’m obsessed! I’m a shoe guy. When I’m looking for something I look for shoes. It’s the first thing I look for.

C: Haha, alright I’ll have to cop myself a pair. Who are some of your favorite designers today?

L: Paul Smith, Thom Browne, Simon Spurr, Carlos Campos, Etro, and Butler is one of my favorites.

C: Any plans on creating your own collection one day?

L: It’s in the works! But nothing is official yet.

C: So what’s next?

L: Fashion blogging, food blogging… I can only tell you what’s next week! Hahaha! I’m shooting at Barney’s. Being a blogger is like being a model; you never know your next gig, and I never know who or where I’m going to shoot next.