Edward
Bartender
- Messages
- 25,081
- Location
- London, UK
A lot has happened in the past several years in this leather jacket business but Schott not only survived but adapted so well that recently they've started to wipe the floor with the competition. There's this, then the collaboration with the Supreme which is a big thing and then the Japan exclusive collection made in I don't even know what, possibly even Shinki from the looks of it. They're doing well and I'm happy because of that.
Schott take a lot of stick, often unfairly. I really like my 618. I do think they're over-priced new, even allowing for the cost of intangibles like brand and US-based labour costs - but to be entirely fair, much of that is down to the value of the pound dropping through the floor against the US dollar, and remaining at historic lows for getting on for four years now. I don't get the impression they've shot up in price in the US the waythey have here? (Used to be a 618 was around £400, which felt about right to me; now they're chasing Aero money for the standard range in al ot of UK places). Can't blame Schott for the strength of the dollar any more than Toyota were to blame for the strength of the Yen in the later eighties. They are doing some interesting stuff out there, which is nice to see a big brand commit to given how many in that position stop trying.
One thing I'd love to see Schott do would be a version of the Brando Durable. They've claimed the credit for making that one for so long, let's see 'em put their mouth and their money in the same location...