Bulletin Board 46
Building a better travel bag, a favorite rosé find, and the jungle jacket reloaded
WORK IN PROGRESS
Along with shorts, striped tees and safari shirts, one of the items I’m most excited to get back into once the weather warms is the jungle jacket. A cousin of the M-65 field jacket made famous by De Niro in Taxi Driver, the Vietnam-era army issue is notable for having four slightly angled patch-flap pockets, which are incredibly useful for holding everything from AirPods to ticket stubs to sunglasses when I travel.
The jungle jacket has certainly been having a moment in menswear lately, with plenty of brands rolling out their own versions. However, I noticed that they were nearly all in the expected olive-drab, and that nobody was doing a reproduction of the 1st-pattern jungle jacket, marked by exposed buttons on the exterior of the pocket flaps, which just looks a little more rugged to me (even if I’m not intending to wear it anywhere near combat).
When I was in Rome I met up with my friends at Chesapeake’s, an under-the-radar Italian brand doing really cool reproductions of U.S. military clothing, to make my own version of the 1st-pattern jungle jacket in navy. I’ve written many times about my love for the color, particularly in the summer when its nautical charm really shines. I think it makes the piece even more versatile—a more casual stand-in for the navy blazer during the warmer months of the year.
The jacket is up for pre-order now on our recently redesigned website (check it out if you haven’t already!) and orders are expected to be fulfilled in early June.
THE CARRY
Métier is a brand I’ve been familiar with for quite some time. (Yolanda is a huge fan, and is never without her Metier crossbody.) The London-based business (which produces its leather bags in Italy) is a rarity in the market today—something that’s unabashedly luxurious, but also comes with a ton of character. A lot of that comes down to the shapes, which are invitingly soft and slouchy in the best off-duty way, and the materials, such as buffalo leather or Italian suede, which look great yet seem ready to take a beating.
So, just as Métier has further filled out its men’s offerings with its new Steve McQueen-inspired Racer Collection, I connected with its founder (and our friend) Melissa Morris to get her take on designing the perfect travel bag, turning paper models into finished leather goods and the men that she designs for in her head.
What’s Métier’s origin story?
I studied sculpture and business. I guess I have always loved to blend the left and right brain, which is why my designs are so focused on merging form and function. I founded Métier with the ambition of championing true Italian luxury craftsmanship in all its glory without any compromise.
How would you describe the company's ethos?
Timeless, purposeful, perfected.
What's your creative process?
I start by thinking about the journey that the specific design is for. I think about everything you need to carry and how you access your things when you are on the move. From there I start sketching and create different ideas for shapes, functionality and design details. Once I have settled on a direction, I create a life-size model out of paper. From there I make further improvements and once I am happy with it, I head off to Italy to meet with my team where we review it together and continue to refine the design—that collaboration is my favorite part of the entire process.
We then bring it to life in leather and go through several iterations until everything is perfect. Then we wear-test it for everyday use, while also sending a second sample for testing in an Italian facility that simulates 20 years of use. Once it passes all testing, we start to produce!
What was the inspiration behind the Racer collection?
We work really hard to engineer the perfect slouch in each of our bags - it's not too messy, it's not too clean, it's just right. I use highly specialised crafting methods combined with the highest quality materials—and gravity—to create this! That relaxed, confident aesthetic that makes your head turn for all the right reasons is not easy to do. In fact, we spent 3 years before we officially launched the brand re-engineering how to construct a bag in order to achieve exactly this. For the Racer, I wanted to pair our signature nonchalance with moto-inspired details. I was imagining the perfect bag for Steve McQueen. I designed the front and back panels to be too tall and only sewn partially to the top so that they collapse in just the perfect way. The handles also follow this same direction, so the end result is slouchy and relaxed, while also sleek and confident. I am so happy that my clients have all fallen in love with the style as much as I have.
Does it solve any specific travel issues you've run into on your own journeys?
There are hidden pockets behind the front zipper pockets which are perfect for your phone and passport. I must say I feel a little smug when I reach passport control and don't have that panic of trying to find my passport.
Any packing secrets/tips you'd like to share?
Our packing pouches! They are each designed for different types of items you pack so that everything stays neat and organized—and especially for multi-stop trips, you don't have to constantly unpack and repack. They have been a lifesaver.
What are your favorite details in the Racer collection, and why?
I love how the handles aren't stitched all the way to the top of the front and back panels, which engineers the perfect slouch. Using clean cut lines like this creates a feeling of elegant ease. I also love the interior organization, especially the interior side pockets, which are perfect for sunglasses, glasses, chargers, adapters—all the things you're always scared you've lost or forgotten!
Who’s the man you envision yourself designing for?
He's a guy who has an unstudied, natural sense of quality and design. Someone who is charting his own path and knows what he likes. His taste is timeless and always relevant because it is thoroughly authentic. I imagine Steve McQueen, Gianni Agnelli, Ayrton Senna, Miles Davis, Albert Hammond Jr., Steve Jobs, Barack Obama, Jack Nicholson, and of course, James Bond.
HAPPY HOUR
I’m just back from the Napa Valley, where I spent some time visiting our friends at Favia, had a great weekend of events at Faust Haus, and a terrific stay at Meadowood for the first time. (A Napa Dispatch coming soon!) But, with rosé season quickly approaching, I was pre-gaming at another favorite Napa winery, Hudson Ranch. Hudson Ranch makes a fantastic Chardonnay called Ladybug that they are well known for, but their rosé is absolutely delicious—giving those Provençal frogs a run for their money. Hudson has been making it since 2011 from a 100% Grenache grown for the single purpose of making rosé wine. The color comes from a bit of skin contact during the foot trotting process (yes, as in actual feet stomping on grapes) that gently breaks the berries to create the wine's delightfully light pink color. The juice is fermented naturally in concrete “eggs” with native yeast (no big industrial practices here!) for a few months to create a fresh, bright and crisp final product—one I will be enjoying near the pool, in the garden and around the lunch table this summer! Go get ‘em here.
I love those production photos
I bought the Wm Brown x Chesapeake's Co Navy Tropical Jacket in size Large, but it’s too large.
1) Anyone want to purchase it from me?
2) Anyone have an unworn size Medium they’d like to sell?