Motor Me Review: LEWIS LEATHERS

Proprietor Derek Harris outside the Whitfield St, London, home base of Lewis Leathers

On a recent whirlwind trip to London and Paris, I had a chance to catch up with Derek Harris, proprietor of Lewis Leathers, the oldest motorcycle-clothing business in the world - founded in 1892. Derek is a breath of fresh air as proprietor of an internationally recognized 'brand', and the very opposite of today's capitalist-opportunist-vultures who snag a dead name, creating Franken-brands stitched up from skins of the 'cool' dead, in the feverish pursuit of money money money. (Ask me how I really feel).

Trying on an all-Lewis vintage racing setup - jacket and pants from the late 1930s, boots from the 1940s, outside the Whitfield St. shop. Photo by Marcus Ross, from his London magazine Jocks And Nerds

Harris is the reluctant proprietor of this iconic name in moto-gear, and never intended to own the company, yet had a curious relationship with Lewis Leathers before he ever worked there. He spent years researching - independently - lost patterns and designs from LL and its sometimes confusing web of related sub-brands (D.Lewis, Aviakit, Highwayman, S.Lewis), working as a mediator between super-hip Japanese clothing importers and various British brands, to satisfy a peculiarly Japanese hunger for English heritage clothing, and rocker gear in particular, during the late 1980s and 90s. [I played a small part in this story as well in 1989, modeling Rocker gear and bikes - my Velocette Thruxton - for 'Nicole Club', a Japanese company producing super-retro biker fashion gear]. Lewis Leathers had no 'heritage' division at the time, and was busy producing 'non-iconic' designs from the 1970s/80s at the time Harris approached them to begin remaking their older styles. As LL had no patterns for their older jackets, Harris conducted his own research, purchasing old Lewis Leathers and D.Lewis jackets and pants, and created new patterns for clothing made from the 1930s - 60s... all this while a non-employee, starting in 1991.

Yep, Steve McQueen wore Lewis Leathers; Harris recently found this photograph of McQueen riding in the Greenhorn Enduro in 1963, matched the jacket with an LL design, and has recently begun producing the model again, the 'Universal Racer Jacket'

Richard Lyon had owned Lewis Leathers since 1986, and was ready to sell the business in 2003, having larger interests elsewhere which required attention, and informed Derek not only that he was finished with LL, but had already sourced a buyer. Harris feared the loss of the company and the history he'd worked hard to preserve, and asked with sinking heart who the new owner would be...only to hear, "You." With the help of friends and loans, Harris did indeed buy the company, and continues to develop and research the brand and its long history, while producing both an exceptional range of traditional riding gear, as well as cool contemporary designs, including a range of sneakers.

One of Harris' many vintage leather jackets on display

The shop is something of a museum of artifacts from Harris' years of collecting vintage Lewis Leathers riding and racing gear, and related paraphernalia. Harris has a rack of vintage leather, and the walls of the shop are festooned with old Rocker jackets. Several of these original jackets will be displayed at the Ton Up! exhibition I'm curating with photographer Michael Lichter, at the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum in early August. The full story of Lewis Leathers and their relation to café racer culture will be explored in a book (called Ton Up!, naturally), which I'm currently writing for Quayside Publishing, based on the exhibition. If you're in Sturgis this summer for Bike Week, definitely stop in to see the show, and if you're in London, you must stop by Lewis Leathers, which is just off Oxford Street, and stick around for a cup of tea. Just don't ask to buy the vintage jackets!

Fantastic folk-art Rocker jacket

Naming the un-nameable as a brash taunt and talisman of bravery

1928 advertisement for a 'Dirt Track Outifit' - how to look like an agent of Doom without wearing a cape. Perhaps where Jean Cocteau got his inspiration for Death's henchmen in his film 'Orphée'? (Read my article here)

Harris collects vintage ephemera to research old Lewis Leathers ads and the riders who wore them; here is the late Father Bill Shergold, founder of the 59 Club, on the very first issue of 'Link', the 59 Club magazine. Father Bill is wearing the classis Lewis Leathers 'Bronx' jacket