28 February 2018

JACKET REQUIRED X SCHOTT N.Y.C X 90 YEARS OF THE PERFECTO

There is a feeling that comes with putting on a Perfecto that cannot be replicated or described. It is a persona; the history of America's bad boy is ingrained in the heavy cowhide and chrome hardware. The courage to face the uncertainty on the open road, and all the freedom that comes with it, is in the hearts of the Schott family.

First appearing in 1928, early customers were mostly fashion-orientated people living in the New York area, requiring wind, rain and snow-proofed clothing. The growth of the American motor sport population in the 1930s then saw the Perfecto increase in popularity amongst a growing contingency of motorcyclists. Soon came military and police orders, and post WWII the continuing partnership with Harlem-based Beck Distributing Corp bolstered its one-star model onto the silver screen - worn by Marlon Brando in The Wild One. The beginning of the legend, Perfecto's one-star jackets became an iconic, symbolic design, not only among motorcyclists but rock and roll street kids worldwide.

The street rock movement of the 1970s saw an increase in demand, with expensive leather fashions becoming symbolic items for rock stars who earned big money yet chose to sympathise with the wild motorcycle uniforms taken over by outlaws from the 1950s. Seen on the shoulders of Bruce Springsteen, Blondie, the Ramones, Beastie Boys and Sex Pistols, a legendary brand was born.

Celebrating 90 years of the Perfecto, Schott N.Y.C partners with Jacket Required this January to reflect on where the Schott brand was born and the path ahead. Schott N.Y.C looks back at the impact the Perfecto has had on our culture, with pieces from its rich archive on show to narrate the brand's story - including garments made in collaboration with Supreme, Vetements, Undercover, RRL, Keith Haring and Jeremy Scott.

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