Product Code Database
Lewis Leathers is a brand name of the oldest British motorcycle clothing company. D. Lewis Ltd,L for Lewis, L for Leathers, Steve Myatt, Classic Bike Guide magazine, July 2005. p. 14 to 19 manufacturer of Arena, Issues 17-18, Emap Metro, 2002 which was established in the late 19th century.
The company supplied early aviators, motorists and motorcyclists with protective clothing against the cold and damp British climate. In the mid-1950s, D. Lewis produced the Bronx leather jacket, one of the first products aimed directly at the post-war teenage fashion market, which was widely adopted by the Ton-up Boys and Rockers of the 1960s, becoming associated with the 59 Club and sponsoring leading motorcycle and TT racers of the day.
At the time, Great Portland Street was known as "Motor Row", the primary location for purchasing and related accessories in the early years of the 20th century.Michael Worthington-Williams, "Warren Street and the London motor trade", in Aspects of Motoring History, Edition 6, Society of Automotive Historians in Britain, October 2010. It had no less than 33 showrooms located along it, including companies such as: Mercedes-Benz, Jaguar Cars, Austin, Morgan Motor and the Indian Motorcycle Company.,Allan Ford & Nick Corble, You Can't Wear Out an Indian Scout, Chalford, Amberley Publishing, 2009, p. 11 [1] accessed on 2011-07-09 and [2] accessed on 2011-07-09 as well as being the center of the Fashion.
Its garments were worn by Spitfire test pilot Sir Alex Henshaw and RAF fighter pilots during World War II. The name still appears in Lewis Leathers jackets, boots, gloves and other products to this day.
The company's products came to represent the high end of the market, out of reach of many individuals, also serving the circuit racing fraternity offering repair and replacement right hand boots which commonly wore out on England's clockwise racing circuits.Scratching – Racing Earning your degree at the University of Brands Hatch, Cycle World magazine, 24 November 2010 by Steven L. Thompson
In 1982, the company was sold to the Newbold Brothers; it was then sold to Richard Lyon in November 1986. In 1991 its classic designs were to be researched and re-created by Derek Harris. After trading from the same location for 101 years, the Great Portland Street shop closed in 1993. That same year saw the launch of a small 'Retro Range' of Lewis Leathers jackets with lining, labels and hardware all as found on the jackets seen during the 60s and 70s. The release of this range and its subsequent marketing in Japan, USA and the UK coincided with vintage Lewis Leathers jackets becoming increasingly sought after in JapanLeathers that's cool for ever, The Mutton, The Times 3 February 2010Lewis Leathers × Hysteric Glamour, Mikako Sakai, Rolling Stone Japan, 2 January 2012 [3] where they are promoted for their authentic connections to the rockers of the 60s,Pride and Glory: The Art of the Rockers' Jacket, Horst A. Friedrichs, Lars Harmsen, DAAB Media Gmbh, 2012. / Interview with Professor Colin Fallows leading British Punk rock,Punk Rock: So What?: The Cultural Legacy of Punk by Roger Sabin, Routledge, 1 Jun 2002 p.146The Roxy London Wc2: A Punk History by Paul Marko, Punk, 2007 . p.111 and fashion icons, and are often highly customised.
Harris and Lyon continued to expand the range of authentic retro-styled jackets, Lewis Leathers by Marcus Ross, Jocks & Nerds magazine, July 2011 their efforts leading to collaborations with leading fashion designers such as Comme des Garçons in 2002.Japanese Fashion Designers: The Work and Influence of Issey Miyake, Yohji Yamamoto and Rei Kawakubo by Bonnie English, Berg, 25 October 2011, . p. 80 In 2003 Lyon announced his retirement leading to Harris, whom, after 12 years researching and working on its designs, took over the company and established an office in Japan opened by 59 Club Japan leader, Koji Baba. The London branch was re-opened close to the original premises in Whitfield Street, part of London's Fitzrovia.Time Out Magazine: Lewis Leathers, 3-5 Whitfield Street, Fitzrovia, London, W1T 2SA. [5] D. Lewis Ltd and Lewis Leathers garments were always produced in England, initially in WatfordFlight magazine, 1958 or St Albans, and from 1958 to 1982, in Mile End. In the 1970s, a small factory in Sheffield was also used. In 1982 all production was moved to Northampton, returning to London in 1993 where it remains until the present date.
From the late 1950s Lewis Leathers advertised to motorcyclists and also in popular musical publications such as the NME and Melody Maker. Lewis Leathers were also official suppliers to police motorcyclists in the UK.
==Bronx jacket==
The Lewis Leather jackets differed from their American counterparts such as the Perfecto motorcycle jacket in that during the mid-1950s in the United Kingdom, many young riders were influenced by the riding style of their racing heroes, which was crouched right over the tank, arms forward holding onto clip-on handle bars. In order to wear an American style jacket, various modifications needed to be made such as expansion pleats down each side of the back and the buckle had to be covered in leather, as the brass buckles found on most American styles would have scratched the tank.Derek Harris, Interview with Professor Colin Fallows, Prof of Sound & Visual Arts, Liverpool John Moores University, 2012.
It became the jacket of choice for the rocker generation and is still in production more than 40 years later.Black Leather Supermodel, Dave Edmonds, Alternative London magazine, March 2005
A further development of the original Bronx jacket was the Super Bronx Twin Track version with an additional zip-track fitted allowing it to expand, enabling the rider to wear bulkier warm clothing in winter.
First appearing at the September 1965 Brighton motorcycle show,Motor Cycle 23 September 1965 Brighton Show Round-up, p.432 " The Super Bronx jacket is provided with two-track zips. What's that? The right side of the jacket has two lines of zips parallel to each other about two inches apart. In warm weather, one uses the zip on the far side; come chilly autumn days, a sweater goes underneath, the second zip track is brought into use— and, hey presto, the jacket expands to fit snugly, without any bursting at the seams. A further feature of the Super Bronx is seven pockets;" Accessed 2013-08-30 it was designated 440TT, with the advertising legend proclaiming " unobtainable elsewhere", and together with the standard Bronx designated 384, the two variants continued in the range from 1966.Motor Cycle 27 October 1966 p.1. 'Lewis Leathers full page advert' " Super Bronx Jacket No. 440TT (Pat. applied for) £13.19.6" and " Bronx Jacket No. 384 £11.11.0" Accessed 2013-08-30
==Other models and products==
It became known for pioneering its large colour brochure, for producing coloured as well as black leathers, initially used for road racing from 1966 by Derek Minter in 1966 and Colin Seeley in 1967, Motor Cycle 21 July 1966, p.1 Lewis Leathers full-page advert Champion rider Derek Minter endorses Lewis Leathers. "They're a must" says Minter. Accessed and added 2014-12-24Motor Cycle, 9 March 1967, p.302 Racing Line by David Dixon. " Red racing outfits for Colin Seeley and passenger Roy Lindsay are the start of a swing to coloured leathers— but Derek Minter, who started it all with a green suit last year, told me he couldn't get into this outfit—he'd put on too much weight!" Accessed 2014-01-27 and for producing both aviation and motorcycle clothing for women since the 1930s.
Lewis Leathers jackets have been worn by leading British Punk rock and and fashion icons such as the members of The Damned, The Sex Pistols, Arctic Monkeys, The Original Icon by Tom Greatrex, Menswear Buyer Magazine, Autumn/Winter 2003. p.95 The Clash, Motörhead, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Prodigy, Eric Clapton, Ewan McGregorBrand Watch Lewis Leathers, The Times Magazine, 3 March 2012 and Kate Moss, as well as iconic Americans such as Lou Reed, Joan Jett, Johnny Thunders, The Ramones, members of Suicide, The Hives and others. Lewis Leathers Gallery
They have been used in music videos, customised as fashion statements by designers such as Vivienne Westwood and Malcolm Maclaren of Seditionaries,Vivienne Westwood: An Unfashionable Life by Jane Mulvagh, HarperCollins UK, 2013 , p.90 as costumes in theatre by Derek Jarman,Christopher Marlowe, Renaissance dramatist, Renaissance Dramatists Series, Lisa Hopkins, Edinburgh University Press, 2008, . p.71 and used in fashion shoots in magazines such as Vogue magazine.Vogue magazine Kate Moss October 2008, Cate Blanchett, January 2009, Pixie Geldof, September 2009. They were worn by such leading British counter-culture figures as Mick Farren,The Fashion Reader: Second Edition by Linda Welters, Abby Lillethun their purchase portrayed as a rite of passage by authors such as Robert Elms.The way we wore: a life in threads, Robert Elms, Picador, 2006, , p.160
On its 120th anniversary, the company was featured in a guide to the most influential fashion shops in London.Lewis Leathers roars in at 120. Tom Bottomley, MWB 18 October 2012'The Look of London an Illustrated Guide to the City's Most Influential Fashion Spots 1950-2000', Paul Gorman & Sir Paul Smith, Herb Lester Associates 2011 It retails through high class clothing stores internationally and has produced a range of custom jackets for a Rolling Stones tour.
It maintains a large collection of vintage items and documentation from which it takes its references.
The company has also collaborated with Royal Enfield Motors, and Triumph Motorcycles to produce a range of jackets. Vogue Italy, Fabiana Gilardi, 05/10/2011
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