Up-and-coming Boston-based Designer Heads to New York Fashion Week
9/1/2024
By Kendall Claar, Sommer Stokes, and Nia Harmon
Four years ago, Lucius Firmin’s life looked very different: he was attending Bentley University, majoring in accounting, and headed for a career in the corporate world. But when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Firmin decided to take a leave of absence and pursue his creative endeavors instead.
Growing up in South Boston, Firmin’s passion for fashion started at a very young age.
“I was very strict with my mom about what I wore to school and things like that. At first, she used to dress me and I did not like anything that she put me in and I remember literally getting emotional before school because I took it so serious,” he said.
Firmin’s early creative vision–while not his current style–shaped him into the fashion-forward person he is today.
“My outfits were very, very terrible at the time…I remember I had a suit with a hoodie under, but it wasn’t a regular hoodie, it was a costume kind of. It was really bad. That was my creative expression at the time. I definitely was able to set that foundation for myself to try new things and be uncomfortable,” said Firmin.
In 2020, Firmin founded the streetwear brand C.R.A.V* (Change Requires Accepting Views) Industries. While at first, every piece he created was unique, he now produces quantities of each item relative to demand. Athletes Kyrie Irving and Jalen Green are repeat customers and have been seen publicly wearing their designs. Firmin’s latest collection, The Art of War, which dropped in March 2022, encapsulates the importance of protecting one’s peace of mind during unprecedented times.
Design isn’t Firmin’s creative outlet. He is also a model and content creator. Through Instagram, he shows off both his original designs and those of other brands to his more than 90 thousand followers. Firmin also participates in photoshoots for print and digital marketing. His most recent shoot was for Gutta Gold’s editorial Gutta’s Wildcard Shoot, featuring all-denim ensembles.
While there are not many influencers who look like him, Firmin has been able to find his own community within the larger industry.
“Influencing is definitely a white women-dominated kind of thing, and it is a lot easier to like blow up or I guess be more relatable as a white woman in the industry. That’s why me and my friends we kind of stay close-knit together because there’s just not too many of us…I definitely want more representation going on in the future but I can see progress at least at the end of the day,” he said.
Firmin will remain in New York City through the end of fashion week and is scheduled to appear at several launches, including True Religion, Les Deux, and Nike.