Sukajan, formerly known as the souvenir jacket, is replacing our wardrobe staple - the baseball/letterman jacket. The word literally means “jumper from Yokosuka” (‘suka’ from Yokosuka and ‘jan’ -  Japanese for jumper) where the garment originated and started off as a trend amongst the U.S soldiers serving in WWII.

 

An American serviceman took his flight jacket to his local tailor - Tailor Toyo, who is still the leading producer of the garment - to have it embroidered with his name and vivid Japanese motifs to immortalise his time of service in the country. This was rapidly duplicated amongst other soldiers and became the go-to souvenir to take back home, earning the name “souvenir jacket”.

 

Tailors would reform the excess silk from military parachutes to create a lightweight jacket with statement. Today, designers aren’t using parachute silk but rayon and satin as seen in Miharayasuhiro and Off-Whites’ SS17 versions.

 

The OG jackets were handstitched with elaborate East-meets-West iconography embroidered on the back like Gucci’s loose-fit satin, baby-blue jacket from Gucci SS17. It is embellished with pastel-green floral appliques along with a red, lettering patch below the left breast. It is finished off with navy and red stripes on the cuffs and collar in homage to the multi-fabric originals.

 

Fierce, American Eagles and lettering juxtaposed against the traditional cherry blossoms and mythical beasts were set alongside the soldiers’ personalised unit names with a map of Japan, creating a piece that celebrated the cultures of both countries, despite them being enemies. Also, for convenience, the jackets were almost always reversible. The opposite side were subtle with florals patterns for areas that did not approve of the foreign military. Today, dragons have replaced the maps but the floral patterns are still in evidence.

 

Due to high demand, the sukajan soon became commercialised and regular people could purchase their own via Post Exchanges. During the 60s Japan obsessed over the preppy, Ametora (American Traditional) look that consisted of blue jeans and Oxford shirts. Individuals who didn’t want to conform to the glorified American lifestyle increasingly donned the jacket as a symbol of rebellion which was embraced by the working class youths. Streetstyle versions like Topshop and River Island are keeping this rebellious aspect by being more influenced by Japanese street style.

 

In the 60s, low ranking Yakuzas (Japanese mafias) wore it as a staple piece which gave it a negative image throughout Japan. Some motifs were identical to the ones on captured Japanese submarines which only intensified the bitterness the society felt towards the gear.

 

Nevertheless, the prejudice towards sukajan has deteriorated as its popularity has increased with modern technology. Mass production made it readily available on the streetwear scene in Japan and the West, where big-time artists such as Mick Jagger (in the mid-60s) and now Kanye West have endorsed it as a hot item. It even featured in the 2011 movie ‘Drive’ where actor Ryan Gosling was seen sporting the cream jacket with a scorpion motif on the back.

 

Designer Kim Jones explains the adoration behind LV SS16/17s’ highly coveted sukajans in Financial Times, “the pieces in my archives are all cultural…the more character you put in things, the more people want to buy it.”

 

Toyo has stayed loyal to its timeless retro designs, evoking feelings of nostalgia; in contrast to western high-end brands who have taken inspiration from the Japanese-American-fusion pieces as seen on the Valentino SS17.

 

The previous summer, Saint Laurent took the trophy home for having the most iconic bomber in SS16 as Hedi Slimane encapsulated the essence of summer perfectly with this one. There wasn’t a magazine that didn’t feature this glorious jacket. It was a loose-fit, champagne number with black-and-gold stripes running down the centre of the sleeves and glittery, gold cuffs. A vivid, tangerine sunset-dream was illustrated on the torso with tall, wispy silhouettes reminiscent of L.A.’s palm trees.

 

There were many more designers that experimented with sukajan in their collections over the last year such as Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Losers “Born and raised in Japan”, Adidas and Stüssy.

 

Nowadays, sukajans are evolving; the designs aren’t the stereotypical Eastern motifs but an extensive piece of self-expression. “Man is very close to the idea of [modern]uniform…in which you represent yourself,” explains Chiuri in Vogue.

 

There now have an array of biker-punk, tattoo, rock, pop-cultural and even religious influences. In addition to that, the jacket is very versatile and can be worn with anything ranging from deconstructed jeans to joggers. With influential artists such as Drake, Zayn and Pharrell rocking them, it’s safe to say that the sukajan is going to have a permanent place in our wardrobes.