Photography by Louisa Nicolaou

NAMESAKE Partners With 13 Artists on a Collection of Innovative Leather Jackets

Leather jacket atelier, NAMESAKE is no stranger to making one-of-a-kind pieces. Each item is hand-crafted in Toronto and made to order. For NAMESAKE, there’s just no other way… They know that a leather jacket is all about identity and how can anyone truly express themselves when they’re buying off-the-rack?

This September, the brand will continue creating unique jackets with a new collection at RE\SET 004. The bi-annual showcase was created last year to provide designers with a platform to present their collections and the event, which is in partnership with Toronto Fashion Week, will feature NAMESAKE’s new jackets at the LUMAS Gallery on September 4th.

A leather jacket from a previous collection. Photography provided by NAMESAKE.

This upcoming collection will showcase 13 different leather jackets and these pieces are especially noteworthy because each is representative of a different artist’s style. NAMESAKE worked in close collaboration with 13 different creatives for this project. The unique jackets include everything from photography printed directly on leather, to hand-tattooed designs and even some human-hair fringe. If a leather jacket is all about identity, then we’re excited to see how each of these artists capture their specific visions.

Rosa Halpern, designer and creative director of NAMESAKE, helped create these second skins. “My roots are in fine arts and bridging the divide between different arts industries is something I am passionate about,” she says. “I am so excited to see this project come to fruition alongside such diverse talent for a great cause.”

The cause in this case is Fashion Revolution, a non-profit organization that aims to start a global movement. Each of the 13 jackets will be available for purchase with the proceeds going towards benefiting the cause. Fashion Revolution’s goal is to change the way people interact with clothes, meaning everything from how the clothing is sourced, to how it’s produced, to how it is eventually consumed. To help achieve this, providing safe, clean and fair working conditions is of the utmost importance.

“I have spent many years in my career working in various parts of the fashion industry where I have seen first-hand the harsh conditions where clothes are made,” continues Halpern. “Now with my own label, I have made a conscious decision to support foundations like Fashion Revolution, to help bring awareness on conditions often overlooked by the consumer.”

Rosa Halpern, designer and creative director of NAMESAKE. Photography provided by NAMESAKE.

As for the diverse talent, the group includes all types of artists. From Ben Johnston, whose cool typography and lettering have helped him stand-out in the industry, to Daniel Mazzone, an artist who has been dubbed the “next Canadian Andy Warhol“.

Whether a bespoke leather jacket is at the top of your shopping list, or you’re just an admirer of the ever-closing gap between art and fashion, make sure to bookmark the debut of this new NAMESAKE collection.

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