FLIGHT JACKET FROM US
It’s been more than 50 years since Alpha Industries released its first branded MA-1 flight jacket in 1963, and even longer since the OG bombers that followed (such as the A-2 and B-15) first appeared as standard-issue military clothing. And, while the bomber jacket has become a true classic over the previous few decades, there’s no doubting that the style—particularly the nylon MA-1, with its knitted collar and distinctive arm pocket—is having a resurgence right now.
“The bomber jacket is a staple silhouette in fashion, and like most outerwear pieces, it follows a cycle with peaks and troughs,” says Mike Cirker, CEO of Alpha Industries, which was formed and awarded its first military contracts in 1959. When Cirker mentions peaks, he’s not kidding: the company’s revenue climbed by 30% in 2015, and sales of the legendary MA-1 jacket more than doubled.
Fortunately, Cirker and the rest of his team identified the start of the current bomber trend early on: “In this particular case, we first saw the demand increase for the MA-1 two years ago, which catapulted our development process to create variations of the silhouette and a multitude of collaborations.”
The majority of those collaborations were quite official, but it was a DIY connection with Kanye West that propelled Alpha Industries ahead of its competitors in terms of awareness. “He first reached out to us to purchase MA-1’s for his Yeezus tour,” Cirker explains. Ultimately, West purchased 100 coats and affixed his own logos and patches. “Since then, he has become an avid advocate of the company. He clearly has a significant impact on trends and is forward-thinking. “He was a year ahead of the runways, and we now see [bomber jackets] on influencers and celebrities everywhere.”
Of course, such prominence has its drawbacks. Too much of a good thing can be fatal for a trend. But Cirker is not concerned. “I believe the bomber has still not fully peaked,” he explains. “It will definitely be a huge trend for another year, and like all major fashion trends will settle down to the masses.”