What is the appeal of Lewis Leathers, a long-established British leather brand?

It is “Lewis Leathers” that is loved by many rock stars such as Sid Vicious and Paul McCartney since the production of the leather jacket was started, and the leather brand of Britain that captures a man’s heart beyond the age. This time, we focus on “Lewis Leathers” and introduce the unknown charm, history, and representative models!

What is Lewis Leathers?

Lewis Leathers” is a leatherwear brand representing the United Kingdom, which opened a store on Great Portland Street in London in 1892 and started a tailoring business and a manufacturing stock of protective clothing for flying and motoring, which is a men’s auto sport. It was not until 1926 that the company began producing clothing for motorcycle racing. To meet the demands of the aviation industry, which was just being created at the time, the company began offering leather clothing with excellent heat retention properties to withstand the extreme cold in the cockpit. During World War II, the company also supplied flying suits and flight jackets to the Royal Air Force ” RAF.

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Lewis Leathers exploded in popularity in the 1950s

In the 1930s, the motorcycle industry in the U.K. was booming, and riders began to appreciate the functionality of leather and its durability against friction during a fall. By the 1950s, all racing riders were wearing Lewis Leathers jackets. The company’s popularity exploded in the 1950s and 1960s, when world champions in the racing world wore Lewis Leathers jackets.

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The Lewis Leathers tag has charm.

Lewis Leathers’ wing logo trademark “AVIAKIT” is a word created by adding “AVIATION,” which means aviation, and “KIT,” which means equipment. The design of the tag has changed with each era, and many fans are particular about this tag. Among them, the models from the 1960s to 1970s are said to be the origin of Lewis Leathers jackets, and are sometimes sold at high prices at auctions. The subtle differences in zippers and other specifications are one of the elements that tickle men’s hearts.

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Currently, “Red Wing” is used for “AVIAKIT” in black letters, which is a reprint of the tag design from the 1960s. The initial design of the brand had a tag with “Lewis Leathers” and “REAL HIDE” tag, which is now attached to horsehide jackets.

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The birth story of Lewis Leathers’ Bronx

From the 1960s, Lewis Leathers jackets became popular among punk rock musicians and other artists. The movie “The Wild One,” which was released in the U.S. in 1953, was banned in the U.K. for 10 years due to its anti-social content, and Marlon Brando wore an American “Durables” jacket. Marlon Brando wore an American “Durabelle” jacket.

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Many young people in the U.K. studied Marlon Brando’s cool style, relying on posters and bromides. At that time, motorcycle leather jackets with waist-length zippers did not exist in England, and in response to the demand, American designer Bud Ganz designed and released a leather jacket under the name “BRONX” (Lewis Leathers). The Bronx Jacket was released under the name “BRONX” by Lewis Leathers. With the introduction of the Bronx jacket, they could now dress like outlaw heroes.

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Sid Vicious, an artist who loves Lewis Leathers “

Sid Vicious is synonymous with Lewis Leathers. He is the bassist of the band ” Sex Pistols ” in England. He is a well-known user of the Lewis Leathers “Dominator” model, and has even coined the term “Sidjan,” which refers to a simple design that is arranged with a large amount of studs and badges. Many fans are attracted by his hard customization and customize their leather jackets.

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Artist “Paul McCartney” who loves Lewis Leathers

Paul McCartney of The Beatles, considered the most successful artist of all time, is one of Lewis Leathers’ favorite users. John Lennon also wore a Lewis Leathers jacket, which shows the popularity and quality of the brand. Paul McCartney wears the ” Bronx Jacket ” by Lewis Leathers.

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Artist “Alex Turner” who loves Lewis Leathers

Mr. Alex Turner, a member of the rock band Arctic Monkeys from Sheffield, located in England, in 2002. He is an artist whose lyrics are characterized by rich descriptions of scenes, and whose first album sold 1.5 million copies in the UK. He is also one of the artists who loves Lewis Leathers. He wears the ” Cyclone Jacket ” by Lewis Leathers.

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The resurgence of Lewis Leathers

In the 1980s, Lewis Leathers lost its golden age as the punk movement and rocker culture declined, and some say that the company was lost in the 80s and early 90s, offering low-priced products and making acquisitions. In an effort to save Lewis Leathers from the doldrums, Derrick Harris, the current head of Lewis Leathers, offered Richard Lyon, the former head of Lewis Leathers, to realize the reissue of past models, and the leather jackets from the heyday of Lewis Leathers were revived.

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Made to Order at Lewis Leathers

Lewis Leathers’ origins lie in tailoring, and the existence of a made-to-order leather jacket service is one of its attractions. The tailoring of the body according to its own techniques maximizes functionality and durability, which is essential for bikers. The service was so popular that the company temporarily stopped accepting orders in 2014, but there is no end to the number of fans who have ordered. Now that orders have resumed at all sales outlets, those who are interested may want to consider ordering one as an item that will last a lifetime.

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Currently, cowhide leather is discontinued. We cannot ignore the fact that only horsehide and sheepskin leather will be handled from now on. There are two reasons for this. One is that it has become difficult to procure high quality cowhide. The other reason is that the leather used at that time differed depending on the era, but in the 1960s, which is considered the golden era, SHEEP (sheep) and HORSE (horse) were used in large numbers, and the company has decided to return to its roots. At that time, COW (cow) material was mainly used for jackets specialized for some hard usage, such as racing suits.

Leather coloring available for order at Lewis Leathers

HORSE HIDE is available in 10 colors: BLACK, BROWN, NAVY, BLUE, TURQUOISE BLUE, VINTAGE TURQUOISE BLUE, WHITE, RED, YELLOW (GREEN

SHEEPSKIN (sheepskin) is available in five colors: BLACK, BROWN, LIGHT BROWN, GREEN and NAVY.

Lewis Leathers also offers custom items

Lewis Leathers quickly became very popular among the “Tornup Boys,” a motorcycle gang of café racer riders who raced at speeds of over 100 mph (160 km/h) on dangerous public roads and later evolved into rockers. Since the 1950s, the company has also sold various studs, badges, and patches to decorate leather jackets to meet the demands of the rockers, each of whom expresses their own individuality.

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Collaboration model of Lewis Leathers

Lewis Leathers x Comme des Garcons

This model was sold exclusively at Comme des Garcons in Aoyama. The back of a damaged Lewis Leathers jacket is painted by Derek Harris of Lewis Leathers. It is all handmade using paint. The brand name Comme des Garcons is also painted on the cuffs.

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Lewis Leathers x Undercover

This was produced as the first Undercover 2016 item. Available in Cyclone and Lightning. It is lined with Undercover’s own cotton biela, with an all-over print and quilted finish. This special model is also designed with comfort in mind, with cupra used for the sleeve lining.

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Representative models of Lewis Leathers!

Lewis Leathers’ representative model ” Lightning

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The eternal standard model of Lewis Leathers, loved by many rock stars. It features four zippered pockets on the front and a buckle that goes from the side to the front. There is also a zipped pocket on the left sleeve for storing tickets when riding a motorcycle. The back style design, which looks like it has a yoke attached to it, is also noteworthy. Lewis Leathers logo patch on the chest area.

Lewis Leathers’ signature model ” Cyclone

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This model has a well-balanced and simple design. It is characterized by the diagonal zipper pocket on the chest portion and the waist belt attached. Not a few manufacturers produced leather jackets based on this model. At that time, knit nylon was mainly used for the lining, but now red cotton is the usual material, which can be changed to knit nylon as an option.

Lewis Leathers Store Locations

Lewis Leathers, loved around the world, of course has stores in Japan as well. The authorized distributors offer a wide variety of products and of course take orders for custom-made products. In particular, “ROLL / LewisLeathersJAPAN,” which also serves as the head office in Japan, is located between Shibuya and Daikanyama, so why not pay a visit?

Store name : ROLL / LewisLeathersJAPAN
Address :8-8 Uguisudani-machi, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-0032
TEL :03-3464-8864
Business hours :12:00~20:00
Closed : Wednesday