Top of my wishlist this autumn is a motorcycle jacket. I don’t own a motorbike; in fact I have never been on a motorbike and in the spirit of making it safely into 2023, nor do I wish to. But I would really like to find a lovely, beaten up motocross jacket, a vintage version of the kind worn by actual racing drivers –replete with bright coloured panels and brand sponsor logos. Not to be confused with the classic black lapelled biker jacket of the sort pedalled by All Saints in the early 2000s, the motocross jacket is a heavy, mandarin collared affair, with sturdy zip and popper collar fastening.
And it’s raced into the fashion consciousness this year, spurred at least in part by the release of Spanish singer Rosalia’s second studio album Motomami back in March. The global chart-topping album featured the artist nude on the cover sporting only a motorcycle helmet, and she’s since worn lots of colourful Christina Aguilera Dirty-era type biker leathers on tour.
Three out of five members of the fashion desk at the Standard already own one, which they wear with everything: with jeans to work and over pretty dresses for parties. I’ve spotted the jackets on the backs of hipsters in Dalston pubs, at fashion parties in Mayfair and, as you might expect, all over TikTok. But this isn’t a trend reserved for Hackney residents and DePop-ers, Bella, Kim, Hailey, Dua` and Kylie have all been seen wearing them, as have influencers like Camille Charriere and Devon Lee Carlson. Take a closer look and Motomania is in fact rife.
Luxury brands have also been revving their engines. For Dior AW22, Maria Grazia Chiuri delivered a collection heavily infused with motocross references: alongside a yellow, white and black biker jacket were sheer lace dresses accessorised with leather racing gloves and crash-proof shoulder pads.
For his SS23 show in September, London designer David Koma took inspiration from “the iridescent petrol spills on the wet pavement,” for a collection that celebrated all things motorsports, in which the biker jacket was a hero piece. “I am a huge fan of sports and love motorsports in particular: the adrenalin and speed,” says Koma, who’s just launched a motorbike helmet filter on Instagram. “For me, the motocross jacket is a timeless piece. It’s so versatile and genderless… it’s fantastic at creating a strong and powerful silhouette.”
As part of its new Y2K-inflected renaissance, Diesel has been pushing biker leathers hard, along with acid wash denim and trucker caps. The Gucci x Palace collaboration that dropped last week featured a distressed-effect yellow, black and white leather motocross jacket, with embroideries and patches of panthers and the Palace and Gucci logos, that’s already sold out despite its £10,860 price tag (which was steep, but not as steep as the £100,000 Gucci monogrammed safe that also featured).
So what’s got us so hot under the snap closure leather collar? “The moto jacket is the biker jacket 2.0. It instantly upgrades an outfit and makes it that tiny bit cooler,” says ES Magazine Style Director Jessica Skeete-Cross. “Pending colour, I honestly think you could put it with most outfits: A tiny party dress, a suit, double leather… you name it, it pretty much works with everything and scores a 10/10 for practicality as well. You will always be warm and dry!”
In addition to the luxey Gucci and Diesel versions, there are also budget-if-not-planet friendlier iterations on offer at Zara, Karen Millen and River Island. But when it comes to sourcing your dream racing jacket, my enviably leathered ES colleagues are unanimous: do not buy new. “Shop the real thing! It’s better for the environment and there’s nothing worse than faux or imitation vintage,” says Skeete-Cross, who recommends scouring your local charity and vintage shops and scrolling DePop, where she found hers for £70. “I did have to sift through the sea of Gen Z kids charging upwards of £200 for them though.”
Buckle up and rev your engines, it’s motomami season.
