JOHN ELLIOTT DEBUTS LOOKBOOK FOR COLLABORATION WITH JAPANESE LEATHER ARTISANS BLEAKMANS

Photography by Nedda Afsari

Los Angeles-based designer John Elliott has launched a new campaign and lookbook to unveil his fall/winter collaboration of leather jackets with Japanese artisan brand Bleakmans. Available on Tuesday, October 17, the collaboration includes two styles, building on the relationship both brands developed over a year ago.

“A little over a year ago, we released our first collaboration with the leather artisans at Blackmeans in Japan,” said Elliott. “It was born out of mutual respect and admiration. The guys at Blackmeans are authentic and devoted to their craft. They are leather artisans who work with their hands on products they sell in their own shop, and who in their time off listen to punk rock. From the moment I set foot in their showroom, I realized how much we have in common. We connected on the long hours we work and how hands-on we are. Since that time we’ve become friends. We spend so much time in Tokyo that at this point, it’s an extension of our brand.

“For the fall/winter ‘17 collaboration we brought back two jackets that are representative of what they do and what we do,” continued Elliott. “You’ll find elements from their collection, like a pleated motorcycle detail incorporated into a stadium jacket, and elements in our collection, like gussets, applied to a rider’s jacket. We’ve lived in these silhouettes for the last year, and going into our second collaboration paid attention to perfecting small details that matter so that we could produce even better garments this time around.”