Betts DeHart is a 20-year-old Atlanta native and co-founder of streetwear label Lucid FC, which he started alongside his twin brother, Chet. I sat down with him at Complex Magazine’s first annual ComplexCon, where Lucid FC was a vendor, to discuss how the twins got their start, what they’ve done since and where they see themselves going.
Will you tell me the condensed version of how Lucid FC came about? I know there’s a lot to that story.
So, back in 2010, my twin, Chet, and I were about to start high school. We were at a point in our lives where we needed to decide what we wanted to do, I guess, but it was kind of early. We knew we really wanted to do footwear. When we started our brand, it was just Lucid Footwear. And it just made sense a couple months later to add clothing. That’s where the “C” in our name comes from. Lucid FC, footwear and clothing.
You were able to do all of this as high schoolers?
We didn’t really go to a normal high school. It was most similar to homeschool, but it wasn’t at our house, and it wasn’t our parents teaching us. Chet and I did a work-study program there, so the curriculum we did for school was around our business. It was a self-curated curriculum.
Will you take me up to where Lucid FC is now? How have you guys progressed since high school?
Well, we’re still kind of young to have a brand. So we keep growing as the brand grows. I’ve never done this process before, so I’m not as familiar as others in the business, but I just feel like every day is a new growth point for sure. Some seasons, we see more growth than others, but the growth is still pretty steady overall. But say you release a new item and a celebrity wears it — the growth is more impactful for that part of time. But it’s a steady growth, which is good because that’s what I like.
I know Rihanna is in that mix of celebrities. What was that like?
When Rihanna wears your hat, and it’s on ESPN because she’s at an NBA game, and you see her courtside, and you see a whole bunch of pictures, and you see your online shop notifications going insane, the impact is huge. Different items vary, but celebrities bring in huge, huge progress. When you compare the numbers, you can see that they play a very big role.
Do you know how she got a hold of the hat?
She bought it!
She just found Lucid FC’s site?
She bought it from VFiles, actually.
How did you guys get involved with VFiles in the first place?
They’re the first store to carry our clothes. Chet and I were customers. We’d used their website, and soon they opened up a store in New York in 2012. We were kind of like, “Hey, we have a brand, too.” And they liked it.
What’s your specific role in the brand?
A wise man once said that the only two things you need for a business are marketing and creation, or something like that. Although this sounds very black and white, Chet is all creative and I’m all marketing. I handle business matters as well, but I mainly specialize in marketing. We have the perfect balance going.
You two grew up in Atlanta, correct?
We did. Born and raised. When college would have started, we moved to New York. We lived there for two years and then Chet moved to London for a year, which is still going on, to go study at Central Saint Martins.
How has Atlanta influenced what you guys have done with Lucid FC? I know you’re not directly on the design side, but I’m sure you have some insight.
The Atlanta aesthetic is like nothing else. It’s truly unique. It’s very heavily influenced by music and food. We’ve definitely been influenced by the music, not the food.
Before we wrap up, do you have any specific goals for the brand that you’d like to mention?
Yeah, win the CFDA (Council of Fashion Designers of America) next year.
(Laughs) I’d expect nothing less.