Deaf Harrogate artist chosen to design clothing and homeware for Comic Relief

Luke Christian set up his fashion brand Deaf Identity in 2019 and since then, he has been passionate about breaking down barriers surrounding the deaf community and also raising awareness through fashion in a modern and relevant way.

He was approached to work with Comic Relief alongside 10 other artists to create designs to be sold on clothing and homeware which is sold through TK Maxx.

Luke felt extremely privileged to have be chosen by the charity who said they wanted to work with designers that had special backgrounds to what they do.

He said: "I received an email back in July 2021 and initially I thought it was spam.

"It felt so surreal to have been asked to be a part of such an iconic charity and institute and it still feels surreal even now that everything is out there with my name on."

Luke was born deaf along with his sister and Mum and the deaf gene runs back in his family tree for at least six generations.

Growing up was always difficult for him as people would always tell him how to be as a deaf person by saying things such as ‘you don’t sound deaf’ or 'you don’t look deaf to me’.

They were just a few of many things that were said to him growing up and he never felt as though he belonged in either the hearing world or the deaf world.

However now, he is passionate in showing that there’s no ‘right or wrong’ way to be deaf and only you can define your own deaf identity.

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Luke added: "Growing up I was always told that being deaf would hold me back when it came to choosing a career path and that my deafness is a limit, so I want to show everyone that being deaf isn’t a burden that society sees it as.

"It can be a hugely positive and unique thing and it’s about how you turn a disadvantage (how society sees being deaf) into an advantage."

Luke wanted to incorporate his own deaf identity within his design by showing the word ‘LOVE’ in British Sign Language in a simplistic, modern, line drawing.

He added: "I feel proud to see my designs in the flesh and to ultimately raise deaf awareness through such a huge platform.

"Although it’s my name and business out there, it’s not just about me.

"It’s about raising deaf awareness and showing the world how positive being deaf and our culture really is."

The collection is now live in all TK Maxx stores nationwide and can be bought in stores and online.

For more information about Luke's fashion brand Deaf Identity, visit https://www.deafidentity.com/

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