LONDON ROYCE CRICKET

LONDON ROYCE CRICKET: BROTHERLY LOVE

“At first glance now, no one would ever guess with how my life started that I’d end up the man I am today. I’m like a transformer. There’s more than meets the eye.” Marcelle Love

Written by ANTHONY KIRBY

Anthony Kirby is the Fashion Editor for CODE M Magazine and has spent over 30 years in the fashion industry. Kirby lives in Philadelphia where he owns a clothier in the city.

Did you ever hear the backstory of the cricket collection designer Marcelle Love? No, he’s a Black triplet born in Brooklyn, NY. He has an identical twin brother and the third is fraternal. Marcelle was the first born, so technically that makes him the oldest. He was considered the “big brother” and wanted to set an example for his brothers.

It was during his growing years in Brooklyn in the late ‘70s early ‘80s that he faced those life challenges we so often hear about with our young Black men. He was pre-school aged; Marcelle and his brothers were abandoned by their mother — literally dropped off at daycare and she never came back for her sons. They ended up in the NYC foster care system with an abusive foster parent. They were brought to the Leake and Watts Children’s Home in Yonkers, NY. At the age of five, Marcelle was given his life narrative, which was, “By the age of 30, you’ll be in jail or dead.” Marcelle didn’t accept his life sentence. He instead decided early on to do anything and everything to not be defined by “Black male statistics.”

It was his late Aunt Alberta Love-George and Uncle Tim who took the triplets in and raised them alongside their three cousins in East Flatbush, Brooklyn. They were known in the neighborhood as the “Love Brothers.” We fast forward to the time Marcelle was 30-years old. He had built a successful career as a Federal Law Enforcement Officer,

a rewarding job that took him around the world to six continents. This was just the beginning of his journey. That journey started back in middle school where Marcelle and his twin brother Marlon were sent to DC to live with another relative. In school, Marcelle had to decide on an elective in Home Economics of either cooking or sewing. The cooking class was full. So, reluctantly, he enrolled in the sewing class. He discovered a hidden talent. His first class project was a denim bag with drawstrings and monogrammed with his initials. His teacher took note of his talent and entered his work in a contest. He took first place. At the advisement of his teacher, he enrolled at Multi-Cultural High School in NW Washington, DC to take up fashion design and clothing construction. Here, he excelled in his newfound talent to become a National Honor Society student and the president of Home Makers of America.

Marcelle, working as a federal law enforcement officer, was on the road to having a successful career in which he could retire after 20 years of service. But not so fast! It was his Aunt Alberta who gave him the inspiration of establishing a business. His aunt was a serial entrepreneur owning a beauty salon, car wash, and funeral home. She was giving him an education of building generational wealth through ownership. His passion for fashion had never been lost. His first foray into men’s fashion was designing a handmade neckwear collection in Italy. This was short-lived due to the dress-down culture in menswear, so he returned to Brooklyn. It was the food and music of the West Indian culture in his community that inspired his next fashion idea.

What captured his attention in that culture was their primary sport: Cricket, an international sport that’s been in existence since 1844. Marcelle had a fascination for the sport through a dedicated cable channel that ignited his passion in the game. Cricket is ranked #2 in the world of team sports. Marcelle saw an untapped market opportunity. He shared his vision with his wife and business partner, Tara, who thought he was insane. She’s quoted as saying, “Cricket? Doesn’t it take like 5 days to play a game?” But once she realized how popular the game was, she was on board. Shortly thereafter, London Royce Cricket brand was established in 2017 and launched online in February of 2020. “It became my COVID-19 passion project. The brand name London Royce was chosen first because Cricket originated in England and secondly because London is the epicenter of fashion history. The name Royce came from the renowned British luxury automaker Rolls-Royce; one of the most iconic brands in the world,” Marcelle explained. Like Polo Ralph Lauren, who took an international sport and created a lifestyle brand, Cricket is a bit of an unknown game to the average American. It has a certain mystique that makes it an attractive conduit for fashion trends. The Cricket collection consists of styles for both

men and women. The catch phrase for London Royce is, “We’re in. They’re out.” The brand is fun, exciting, and colorful. It’s accessible because Cricket is more than a sport — it’s a lifestyle. Marcell states, “Our signature pieces making up the brand are our graphic, crewneck t-shirts with a classic baseball-style font. It was our first and most popular design. Tee’s, tank-tops, and hoodies round out the collection. Our trademark batsman logo caps that include cricket scoring numbers are a must have when viewing or attending a Marcelle is currently expanding Cricket into other classifications like cricket sweaters. Shoes, leather goods, and fragrances are not too far off in the future. The brand has already been pursued by cricket enthusiasts to become brand ambassadors. Marcell is also looking at licensing the London Royce Cricket brand name and becoming an official outfitter for the ICC World Cup or Olympics. So, this is the story of Marcelle Love. Over the years, he’s learned to never let the difficulties of his past define his future. “Through God’s grace, I never let the challenges of my youth extinguish the promise of greatness within me. Never let life’s detours be a deterrence — embrace them, learn from them, and there’s no limit to what you can achieve if you put your mind to it and work hard.” ●

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London Royce offers clothes for men and women.