The idea for this jacket was to be the easiest go-to, must grab item in your closet. Perfect for a training run or throwing it on to meet friends.
As with everything, it starts with fabric. We sourced a beautiful, ripstop from Japan with a subtle, chalky finish that was great from a performance aspect, but also looked really elevated-allowing for the versatility I was craving. It also has just a hint of texture which felt relaxed to me, nothing to serious or precious.
To thread this needle of nuance through the trim, we used matte black, water resistant zippers at the center front and pockets. The monochromatic internal taping, added for functionality, matches this aesthetic with a subtle sheen.
One of the inspirations of the collection was the idea of layers, both literally and figuratively. This came through in a few ways, first through the front pocket construction, top applied and bonded to the jacket; the amorphous shape appearing as if it’s floating on the front panel. Also, the matte black print on the back panel conveys a sense of layers. The concentric arcs pulling toward one another represent the many phases of a runner as they move through a training block, the build over time as they prepare for race season. This spliced graphic was originally something Ale designed for a performance tee, but I fell in love and felt like it was the perfect graphic for this specific jacket silhouette. The way it could nestle just under the nuanced curve of the back yoke was meant to be!
The watch window came from focus groups. The challenge was to make it “disappear” as much as possible. We did a concealed zipper for this effect. Also on both sleeves to not discriminate the lefties!!!!
