Can Tran is a fashion executive and creative director with over 20 years of experience across luxury retail, wholesale, and brand building.
He is currently CEO and Creative Director of BOY London America, leading the brand’s new chapter in the U.S. with a modernized punk vision and disciplined tailoring.
Boy London
Q: Boy London has remained an iconic symbol of rebellion and street culture for decades — how do you balance honoring your heritage while evolving for a new generation of fashion Consumers?
It was a monumental task to even think I could help shape the future of BOY, but I knew from the beginning that we couldn’t start building without understanding the past. We spent months buried in research, with help from industry leaders, archivists and professors from schools like FIT, ASU FIDM, OTIS. From there, we thought, what would it look like in better fabrication, dressier, darker, more modern?
Q: What role does global streetwear culture play in shaping your current collections, and which cities or communities are influencing the brand most right now?
I think the idea of what streetwear is/was, has always shifted over the decades. I’d like to think that we are blending formal wear and streetwear in a way that makes BOY accessible to the old fans and the new. Of course, the punk, underground, goth, and rap communities are an inspiration to us.
Q: Fashion cycles are moving faster than ever — how does Boy London maintain authenticity while staying relevant in today’s rapidly changing fashion landscape?
The impact of the original BOY ideas and designs to fashion has not been discussed enough, by honoring the past we can build the future. The shift to creating pieces out of better fabrication as well as adding timeless suiting/dress wear, hopefully, creates a timeless depth that fans will enjoy for years to come.
Q: Are there any upcoming collaborations, creative directions, or brand evolutions that signal the next chapter for Boy London?
We were approached by many people about collaborations leading up to this. Although very grateful at the idea, I ultimately decided not to pursue any collaborations so that we could show the collection as we intended without outside influence. We were also developing many other pieces in other categories that did not make the show, we hope that the fans continue to enjoy the world we are building.
Q: How do you see the intersection between luxury fashion and streetwear evolving, and where does Boy London position itself within that conversation?
Like the times we live in, the world is in a polarized state. You see this in fashion as well, the wider divide of unattainable luxury vs repetitive fast fashion. I believe there is a way to make beautiful clothing with premium fabrics without pricing out the fans. It’s a lot of work but we aim to do this, both in thoughtful design and careful selections on the production side. The audience will have to decide how we are thought of.
Q: Social media has transformed brand storytelling — how is Boy London using digital platforms to connect with both longtime fans and new audiences worldwide?
We are revamping our website WWW.BOYLONDON.COM, updating our IG:BOYLONDONAMERICA and adding other platforms that make sense. We have created some amazing content that we have been waiting to release in alignment with the launch of this collection. Stay tuned.
Q: What does the future vision of Boy London look like over the next 3–5 years, especially in terms of creative identity, community engagement, and global expansion?
We will continue to build the world with intention, honor the archival work, create original silhouettes, with a design-led approach. We have already started ideation on many other categories (didn’t finish in time for the show). As we continue to roll out the collection, we are excited to hear from the community.
To be clear, we are BOY LONDON AMERICA and it can only be found in America for now.
