The Story Behind Matthew Miller's Rebelious Jackets

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON lyst - march 2015

Matthew Miller is one of the most exciting menswear designers to have come out of London in recent seasons—epitomising the city's rebellious undercurrent. Here the designer shares the story behind his signature leather jacket —a wardrobe staple that will never go out of style.

Can you tell us a little bit about how you got into design?

When I left school, I actually didn't know what I wanted to do. I never thought—or was advised—that you could make a career from the arts. So I spent a few years living in the back of a truck, working the shows, enjoying an incredible sense of freedom and getting into trouble. Then one day I just decided to go to art college, and here I am now.

Your collections always seem political - do you intend to make a different statement every season?

Fashion is far more rebellious and political than we think at first glance. All clothing, whether you like it or not, is political. I actually do believe that they are just clothes, and people make clothes, clothes don’t make people. I have a very romantic way of looking at clothes, I feel they're like a living, organically evolving canvas. Their destruction is a beautiful form of chaos, our chaos, our existence as a form.

You usually send girls down the runway at London Collections Men. Would you consider your line unisex?

I actually wouldn’t consider the clothes unisex. I design for both women and men and show them together, It's more a position of equality to be honest. Men and women are very different, but they are both equal. I find the segregation of men and women in the fashion industry very outdated.

You are known for your statement coats and jackets. Why are you so drawn to outerwear?

I just love designing outerwear, and the wealth of materials that you can use. It's always an absolute joy to design.

Can you describe a little about how your leather jackets are made? Who makes them?

All our jackets are made in the last remaining biker jacket factory in London. The leather is imported from South Korea for a pressed finish or Italy for a grained finish. The jacket is slim-fit and comes in two styles, of varying textures and colors. The hardware is made in Italy and they are lined with a silk satin for Spring/Summer and a quilting for Autumn/Winter. All of this adds up to make it one of, if not the best biker jacket on the market—at least in my opinion. The leather jacket was our first piece—It’s pure unadulterated rebellion.

What made you decide to paint your leathers and how do you chose your slogans?

The various hand painted slogans change from season-to-season, and come from a flash of inspiration or research. I love the way that paint adds a contrast in texture against the grain of the leather, it makes each one individual.

‘Born to Fail' which features on one of our new jackets, isn’t necessarily the negative statement that first springs to mind when you read it. I actually see positivity, modernity and rebellion in those three simple words. It says to me “you have nothing to lose, so get on with it”.

What is the best way to care you your leather jacket? Or are you a wear it to death man?

Wear it to death! A leather jacket is all about the life you live in it. On your deathbed you should be able to read a person’s life from the scars it bears.

The Story Behind Matthew Miller's Rebellious Jackets - Lyst