Comparing three takes on one jacketfrom @frontoffice.co

Transcript

Alright. I'll tell you a story. So three designers take on the same jacket, but they come up with three wildly different results. The jacket in question is the MA one bomber from the nineteen fifties. Nylon better, insulated, round ribbed neck and ribbed cuffs. I think we all know the shape. So company number one, Tier Real McCoys from Japan. So this is a company that's known for an extreme dedication to authenticity, to reproduction. And the MA one is no exception. It is the result of deep research. Every stitch, every fabric choice, the small black leather pull tabs. One of their main selling points is that they have treated the brass buttons to have the same black oxide finish as the original. Like, we're talking about that level of detail. But the idea that they're trying to communicate is that heritage matters. There is a reason why this jacket, even though it's unchanged, is still relevant seventy years later. There is beauty in the original design. Then we have company number two, Capital. This is a brand from Japan, from Okiyama, which is the denim capital of Japan. Now this is a brand that never really fails to surprise. And their clothes are a wild mix of Japanese folk art, Native American influences, but in very modern, almost militaristic shapes. Their innovation is texture, color, pattern. So take a look at their MA1 better. Like fairly traditional in silhouette, but what strikes you is this orange area here. Your eyes are drawn to it and it's a play on a few different things. It may have some influence from old hunting jackets with those leather patches where you rest a gun. And that orange corner becomes apparent because you can fold up the bomber to become a throw pillow. Really creative, really unpredictable, but also shows a sense of humor as well. Like shapes that suggest weapons and gunfire, and you can convert that into a pillow. That life should contain delight, should contain whimsy, that life should contain some sort of balance. No we have company number three, Stone Island. And Stone Island isn't as much a fashion brand as it is a scientific lab to create textiles, like really cutting edge tech fabric. And their MA one bomber is the result of years of experimentation with tech fabrics. So the interesting thing about this jacket, it is garment dyed, which is a technique that's usually used for natural fibers. What it means is that you make the entire garment initially and it has no color, and then you throw the garment into a vat of dye. Rank because of the type of dye, the temperature is required, you're literally boiling boiling the garment in dye. You have to develop your own nylon for the shell, your own insulation that good withstand these harsh conditions. But the result is beautiful. The texture of the nylon changes to a crinkled finish and the garment dyes beautifully uneven, which gives the garment a lived in aged appearance. Super uncommon for synthetic garments. Then you have this beautiful jacket which combines cutting edge innovation, cutting edge design with a traditional military shape. That contrast, that tension shows us the idea of innovation, of something new. So who makes the best MA one bomber is probably the wrong question to ask because all of them are very good at communicating their ideas to you. Like, is it about heritage? Is it about whimsy and excitement? Or is it about innovation and progress? It's not really about who the best designer is. It is about which idea do you resonate most with. Which jacket do you feel like was made just for you?