‘At Don’s House’: Catching up with Don Letts

Don Letts (Outta Sync, 2023)

Last month, we caught up with the legendary musician, DJ, and filmmaker Don Letts at his house in North London, and, in the spirit of our AW23 collection, discussed all things punk, music, fashion, and more.

Famed for introducing reggae to punks in the late 1970s and as a DJ at the first punk club, ‘The Roxy’, Don is well-established in both music and film. In a previous interview, he stated that it was being inspired by the cult classic Jamaican film The Harder They Come (1972) and the DIY aesthetic of punk rock that shaped him into Don Letts, the filmmaker. He went on to shoot The Punk Rock Movie (1978) on Super 8 film and describes himself as a “combination of music and clothes,” using multiple mediums to express himself creatively.

Don wears: Cabin Jacket in Sand Corduroy/Soft Twill, Braga Pant in Sand Corduroy, Top and Accessories Don's own.

When we arrived at Don’s house, we were shown around his beautifully decorated home, complete with a vast array of artefacts and memorabilia he's collected throughout his career. Included in his archive is a boombox, record player, jukebox, and plenty more audio equipment alongside framed vinyl, artworks, and album covers spanning decades of music history. Most notably, he has four posters of The Harder They Come, as well as the 1993 compilation album artwork for Black Market Clash by The Clash, on which he himself features walking towards a line of police at the Notting Hill Carnival in 1976. Despite his impressive C.V. and legendary status, Don retains the highly progressive opinion that “you’re only as good as what you’re doing, not what you’ve done,” and stresses the importance of “being in touch with the now and not getting stuck in your soundtrack.”

As we chat through the story of how he got to where he is today, he candidly shares examples of his experiences of racism in the UK and the US, including a cancelled interview and being miscredited in a major film. This kicks off a discussion around how times are drastically changing, for better and for worse. These days, he acknowledges that despite racism still being prevalent, there is now more respect for black culture; however, the expansion of the digital world has brought with it new challenges in the fight for people to be heard, both young and old.

We go on to discuss how, in the 21st century, curation is currency as a means to tackle the pure volume of content being churned out. “The only talent I have is my taste,” Don says in all seriousness. He goes on to say, “There’s so much of everything that now nothing means anything anymore” and references the fact that 150K tunes are uploaded online every day, making space a real and valuable commodity.

Don wears: Cabin Jacket in Sand Corduroy/Soft Twill, Braga Pant in Sand Corduroy, Top and Accessories Don's own.

As the conversation inevitably turns to clothing, it all wraps up with a poignant thought as Don reflects on the fact that clothing shops used to be destinations “where people came and hung out,” and there’s a sense of remorse for how times have changed. Don shares his dream of one day reopening Acme Attractions, which was a clothing store and renowned meeting place for punks and reggae musicians alike. He adds, “Things happen when you bring people together. There’s too much communication via phones when we’re not looking each other in the eyes and buzzing off each other’s chemistry.” We couldn’t agree more.

Photography by Yu Fujiwara. 
@8and2

Don Wears: Quilted Coverall Jacket in Cumin Quilted Cotton, Quilted Oxford Pant in Cumin Quilted Cotton, Yogi x Universal Works Finn in Cola/Dark Brown Suede/Tumbled Leather, Top and Accessories Don's own.

Don Wears: Cardigan in Pink Wool Fleece, Quilted Oxford Pant in Cumin Quilted Cotton, Yogi x Universal Works Finn in Cola/Dark Brown Suede/Tumbled Leather, Top and Accessories Don's own.

Don Wears: Cardigan in Pink Wool Fleece, Quilted Oxford Pant in Cumin Quilted Cotton, Top and Accessories Don's own. David Wears: Zip Bomber in Lovat Wool Fleece, Pleated Track Pant in Navy Wool Cotton Seersucker, Top and Accessories David's own.