POP color contrasts instead of all one solid color.  The front facings and the linings were matching, using colors from the rest of the palette.
The lining fabric was used for the pocket bags so you could pull the chest pocket bag up to create a faux 'Pocket Square' accent.
The POP color contrast was successful, so I took another approach for the following Spring season but this time...
I decided to give it a 'Sun-bleached' effect to mimic the decades of washing and wearing that would fade the it out.
The summer sun-bleached washing treatment gave it a broken in feel that even the oldest of vintage Iconic Racer jackets didn't have.
I explored ways that this American icon of a jacket could be reconstructed and refabricated to retain the original's details but express itself to a whole new generation and to the fans of decades past.  Above I named this the 'Jerkin Vest' after a dance trend in Southern California where the members of the most popular dance crews wore Vlado sneakers and often with 80's retro colors and clothes.   Many dancers wore Member Only jackets in a hip-hop style while they danced.  
It also happens to be that the word JERKIN means a 'sleeveless jacket'.  (You see what I did there?;)
Limited Edition and commemorative variations were developed as you see in this Patriot Racer above.  The Flag, Contrast stitching and striped rib knit was all it took. 
Sensing the increasing popularity of camo and bombers inspo, I created a camo racer and a baseball bomber jacket.
Some simple ideas that may seem obvious after the fact had never been tried before like the electric color palette above..  
Expressing the 80's vibe of Neon on the iconic 80's jacket and giving it a worn in wash updated it like you've never seen. 
A famous jacket from the past is the Baracuta as worn by Elvis Presley.  I wanted to make a totally new reversible version that could be worn in the day and reversed to a darker tougher version at night.  The fabric is a single ply shell with an over-print on the plaid.
Perforated, Spring weight and washed PU allows this unlined leather looking stand collar Moto breath.
Notice the shoulder detail and strap collar are a nod to the Iconic Racer while the half knit cuffs do as well.
The original art I created above was in keeping with the graphic theme of the lightning bolt but this was inspired by the gas tank plaques of vintage motorcycles.  The scratch effect and 3D look add to the retro feel.
Adding a hood, some racing stripes and a contrast lower body took the 'Racer' concept from the race track to the Speedboat.
A bit of vintage nostalgia was used in creating the sleeve patch below.
Fool's Gold Record label owner and world famous DJ A-Trak and his brother from Chromeo, Dave-1 came to us to make a limited edition MEMBERS ONLY jacket based on an old cotton jacket they found at a thrift store.  They gave us this art to develop the Gold yarn woven label.
Dave-One, the lead singer of the band Chromeo.  He happens to be A-Trak's brother.  It was his Dior jacket that he wanted me to make from the thriftstore MEMBERS ONLY jacket they brought.
The original MEMBERS ONLY poly cotton jacket with zip off sleeves above was a style we had never seen at our company.
Dave-1 was wearing a Christian Dior leather motorcycle that he loved and asked if we could make that raggedy jacket look like his.
Selecting a soft lamb instead of a cow, as was used in the 70's.
I added a quilted shoulder yoke detail, a Michael Jackson Thriller flange shoulder detail and to set it off I used a special High-Shine chrome in honor of his band Chromeo.  Adding the collar strap was the 'Iconic Racer' touch it needed. 
Terry Richardson collaborated on a photoshoot with A-Trak.
MEMBERSHIP IS MORE IMPORTANT, THE CLOSER YOU GET.
Chris Brown in "My Last" video wearing vintage Reeboks, YSL buckle and one of our authentic PU Leather Racer jackets.   
Maximillion Cooper sporting the Driver's suede Members Only racer.  Above his car he drove in his race, GUMBALL 3000.
Bun B autographed Driver's Jacket from the 13th Edition race.
Graphic design for embossing on inside leather patch pocket commemorating the 13th Anniversary of the Gumball 3000 Rally.
Baseball jacket with signature details: Coated Denim for water repellency, combined with a PU and the 'Iconic' shoulder detail in an embossed textured PU.
Modernized and streamlined in a washed leather:  Signature details pared down by removing epaulets, knit at pockets, top stitching and the strap on the stand collar.
Members Only gets Down-filled: Removable hood with a knit stand collar retains original 'Iconic' details but takes a twist with a retro color-block nod to the 70's.
Times were different in the late 70's, so when I discovered the MEMBERS ONLY racer jacket in the early 80's, I had to have it, in 4 colors.  Yeah, that's me in my chocolate brown one in the glazed chintz fabric that I wore in my class picture.
Just to give you an idea of what I had to work with, there wasn't a single vintage Racer jacket in the entire office. Thank god for eBay!
The hanger appeal of garment of the past were problematic in that the branding wasn't visible at first glance.  Wrinkling and presentation of the main label were neglected. Positioning and color coding, as well as awareness to the neck label folding all add to customer's perception of the garment and brand. 
Variations on a theme.  In 2010, the font 'Sense' was created at the moment that I began revamping the brand's identity.  Prior to my arrival as the menswear designer, it was simply the Helvetica font without consideration to the weight or the kerning of the original logo on hundreds of thousands of vintage Members Only jackets. T he 'Sense' font was visually similar with some differences that would give it better legibility.
Some labels of the past had a jacquard weave of a keyhole design.  Others had a 70's Disco looking keyhole graphic that I felt could be updated, simplified and used in many different elements of the branding.
The retro 'disco' looking keyhole from the 70's was the inspiration or key to my approach to updating the branding.  The idea of exclusivity and the brand name "MEMBERS ONLY" were never far from my mind.  I often wondered if the Playboy Club had anything to do with the origin of the brand name.  Take a look at the caption in the LIFE magazine photo (above center).
Below: the 'Keyhole' was interpreted into a machine quilted repeat pattern for use in some heavier insulated winter jackets.
Side by side comparison of the look at quality of the signature labeling on the chest pocket. On the left was how irregular the pocket was, and unevenly it was sewn to the bottom of the knit welt pocket.  On the right above, is the new logo and flush sewing.
Some new styles added, required snaps.  As a company decision, we began using 'Original' in the website and other media applications so I promoted that idea by emphasizing it on the snap head design, along with the 'Keyhole'  These are a few of the finishes I developed for various uses.

You may also like

Back to Top