Trend Alert: Hell For Leather

Leather-envy; the very notion of it was, until recently, preposterous in my mind.

Sure, like most of you I have flirted with leather; a jacket dalliance here, a waistcoat romance there – these liaisons always appeared to be a little too dangereuses upon looking in the mirror, leading all inclination to be a leather-clad maverick to be swiftly filed away.

Happy in my leather-free bubble, I watched bondage-clad collections at Marc Jacobs roll out; I looked on as Gaga rolled about like a cow-skin princess; I stood back as vintage shops stocked-up on leather coats to be oh-so-seventies –still, I felt nothing. Content in not looking like an extra from the Matrix, I thought i’d soldier on indefinitely.

Little was I to know that leather was to land on my doorstep [figuratively speaking of course] Former bookings gal and serial shopper Samantha and I were perusing the Judy's stalls at the South Bank when we found it - the thing that was to shatter my allusions in a big, biker-y mess. Cropped, one-off and emblazoned - it was bad-ass in a jacket form. Crowning the item was a lone wolf, howling to the graffiti moon.

The above picture is not an image of the jacket [or myself and Samantha - what 'lols' that would be!] but a picture from the 70s epic 'The Warriors.' Know why? Because this jacket made me want to be one of 'The Warriors,' cleaning up the streets with quick quips, running around on subways [wouldn't quite be the same running around on the Northern Line - I think i'd have to emmigrate] and embracing la vie en leather.

Of course, the jacket wasn't for me [and was a girls. and too small] and so all that remains is a solid case of leather envy. Adding insult to injury is the resurgence of the Native American trend which goes so very well with leather [a kind of cowboy-meets-indian car-crash - now that's what i'm going for] Until fair season, I have my eye set on this tassel-tastic number from vintage vendor Burger & Fries...

Luckilly, fair season starts this coming Monday with Spitalfields [hooray!] and so I shouldn't have to wait too long. Until then, I guess my wax jacket will have to cut it. But know this -my Navajo-ly Grail is out there. Somewhere. And one day, it will be mine.

xVVx

www.vintagefair.co.uk