Aero Leather Clothing trial update

[Bunyip]

Don't think Horween will like seeing their product being priced down in this way. Bad for its image as a high end material.

I was under the impression when all of this kicked off with the joint statement by Aero and Horween that they ( horween) weren't going to business with WL/AL. Very surprised that they ended up selling Horweens range. I guess at the end of the day money talks.

 

[Big J]

Well, Horween should have learnt its lesson by now, I have;
If Ken says it's horse, it's horse.
If Will Lauder says it's horse, you're taking a gamble.

I know I'll be sending my money to Ken at Aero.

 

[pawineguy]

I was under the impression when all of this kicked off with the joint statement by Aero and Horween that they ( horween) weren't going to business with WL/AL. Very surprised that they ended up selling Horweens range. I guess at the end of the day money talks.

It's actually a very interesting part to the story. Horween obviously retained the Aero exclusive on one leather, but chose to sell other hides to AL. We'll most likely never know the dynamics that led to that decision. I do know that some companies make it a strict policy to sell to anyone who can put the cash on the barrel, in order to maintain their own neutrality in the market.

 

[Big J]

Well, you know, Horween staff gotta get paid too. But AL is just such a toxic brand, I'm surprised.

 

[Sloan1874]

I'll take your word for it. Any guess on what he will get?

Anything up to three years and the fine is unlimited.

 

[Monitor]

Well, Horween should have learnt its lesson by now, I have;
If Ken says it's horse, it's horse.
If Will Lauder says it's horse, you're taking a gamble.

I know I'll be sending my money to Ken at Aero.

But what about the thrill of gambling?

 

[Edward]

Sounds like my two Hartmann/30s Halfbelt clones. They just omitted the two breast pockets. Both jackets were made by Will and Vicki.

That's exactly the one of which I was thinknig - especially the second. This is the AL version:

Again, they under estimated Kens will power to keep Aero afloat, and they underestimated Aero customers brand loyalty.

It's hard to look at what happened an interpret it in any other way than, with the offer to buy Aero turned down, the AL operation sought to buy Aero out from under Ken (hiring the Aero MD, meetings with Aero staff, Aero staff leaving to go and work at AL), thinking, presumably, they'd own "Aero in all but name", as somebody once put it round these parts. If that is the case, they certainly got the market wrong. I think what made all the difference to Aero not just being buckled under by it was that after losing ten staff, they almost immediately rehired nine fomer staffers who had not cared for Lauder's management, and took on some apprentices. On top of that, Ken's creativity was enormously stimulated and they came out with an impressive new collection that didn't bear significant similarity to any of the direct competition, so Aero were still setting the pace in their niche.

But since the brand is now tainted, and since there is clearly some questions to be answered as to where thier designs came from, they have changed tactics, and bought the rights to the SB brand, allowing them to reinvent themselves, and put original SB product range back into production, and cease production of thier current product range over which there are questions of provenance.

That would be a logical buisiness move for them. I imagine we'll get more of an idea how the whole situation will move on after proceedings are concluded on Friday.

Don't think Horween will like seeing their product being priced down in this way. Bad for its image as a high end material.

Definitely an issue. Remember when Levis sued Tesco over the 'grey import' 501s the latter started selling for £25 a pop back in the days when bog-standard 501s were gonig for GBP50.00 everywhere else in the UK? Or hells, when Gibson took the Les Paul from grossly unpopular in the mid eighties to highly desirable again by..... doubling the price? Perceived market value is extremely important when it comes to consumer durables that fall in the luxury items bracket. This as much as anything could be why they've stuck with the Aero exclusive on the CXL FQHH.

It's actually a very interesting part to the story. Horween obviously retained the Aero exclusive on one leather, but chose to sell other hides to AL. We'll most likely never know the dynamics that led to that decision. I do know that some companies make it a strict policy to sell to anyone who can put the cash on the barrel, in order to maintain their own neutrality in the market.

You can certainly see whay they might do that from a purely commercial standpoint.

 

[tonypaj]

I have one of these, a very pleasant jacket, in seal HH, but with button cuffs. I also have 4 Aeros, dating to all regimes, in different hides, and just gave away one. Anyway, I'm a bit in the Plumbline camp, no preferences as far as makers go, be it Chapman or Aero or WPG. I even have a Bill Kelso, that I got with 50% off as I was "offended".

My taste for the leather jackets seems to be disappearing, though. I have many, but I wear mainly the old ones dating to 50s or my WL days modified Stuart in lightweight HH. The AL one gets little use, mainly due to the Stuart, but it is nice to have around.

AL business practices, well, who knows. My day job is to deal with all kinds of contractors with multimillion contracts. The reasons why companies price their products vary. I reckon each case is individual, and I always have to start from zero, with my prior experience there to guide me. And in each case you find something new. I try to keep an open mind, this "find something new" part kind of forces you to do that. Corrupt stuff? Don't even start me...

 

[Big J]

Sounds like my two Hartmann/30s Halfbelt clones. They just omitted the two breast pockets. Both jackets were made by Will and Vicki.

That first one looks really sweet! I wish I had a slim enough body to wear that style and make it look good. I could be like that guy in The English Patient, with shorts and a leather jacket, in the desert. At night.

 

[tonypaj]

Double post...

 

[Rudie]

Big J, that first ones actually didn't work at all. It was a standard size and so wide at the waist that I could wear a watermelon underneath. Not a good look the jacket being so wide at the waist. The second one is custom sized goat and has aged beautifully by now.

 

[tropicalbob]

Just my opinion, but the AL version appearing above looks wrong to me. Perhaps I'm just used to the Hartmann design with the two chest zips balancing off the two bottom pockets, but this version seems like it wanted to be a minimalist design and then chickened out in the end. It seems symptomatic of the AL design changes: add a pocket or zip; lose a pocket or zip.

 

[Sloan1874]

Mainly adding pockets, though - the idea that this would somehow constitute a major piece of design evolution on 'the designer's part' always made me laugh. Talking of AL, I see they've taken the trial statement off their website. Wonder why...

 

[Superfluous]

I see they've taken the trial statement off their website. Wonder why...

Yup: http://www.alexanderleathers.com/alexander-leathers-statement

Now a dead link. Yet again, AL attempts to erase evidence. First, AL removed its acknowledgment that Will Lauder was an integral part of the founding of AL. Now, AL has removed its "statement" attempted to downplay its original acknowledgment. What will AL next attempt to cover up?

 

[Sloan1874]

I'm sure any photos are being airbrushed as we speak.

 

[Rudie]

Just my opinion, but the AL version appearing above looks wrong to me. Perhaps I'm just used to the Hartmann design with the two chest zips balancing off the two bottom pockets, but this version seems like it wanted to be a minimalist design and then chickened out in the end. It seems symptomatic of the AL design changes: add a pocket or zip; lose a pocket or zip.

Agreed, without the chest pockets something is missing to my eye. The balance is off. I think my jacket is one of the greatest jackets ever made, but the AL version without chest pockets just ain't cuttin'.

 

[Sloan1874]

It's all about balance. As it is, the AL version looks as if the pockets have started somewhere at the chest but have sunk southwards over time. Horrid leather it's made of too, but that's by the by.

 

[Big J]

Big J, that first ones actually didn't work at all. It was a standard size and so wide at the waist that I could wear a watermelon underneath. Not a good look the jacket being so wide at the waist. The second one is custom sized goat and has aged beautifully by now.

Really? Wow!
A jacket like that has got to have a trim fit.

 

[Big J]

It's all about balance. As it is, the AL version looks as if the pockets have started somewhere at the chest but have sunk southwards over time. Horrid leather it's made of too, but that's by the by.

Yes!
The Alexander Leathers jacket has no balance, and the leather looks to have all the character of a cheap leather sofa.

 

[Bunyip]

Yup: http://www.alexanderleathers.com/alexander-leathers-statement

Now a dead link. Yet again, AL attempts to erase evidence. First, AL removed its acknowledgment that Will Lauder was an integral part of the founding of AL. Now, AL has removed its "statement" attempted to downplay its original acknowledgment. What will AL next attempt to cover up?

I would suggest the line about Aero emailing their customers etc was way out of bounds, might have had something to do with it. It would seem that AL seldom take the high road....