Beyond Black

Beyond Black

Haute couture, ready-to-ride

THE TRADITIONAL BLACK LEATHER JACKET REALLY ISN’T all that traditional anymore. It’s evolved into a stylish accessory that’s as appropriate in a five-star restaurant as it is aboard a bike. Sometimes, however, black is a little too basic. Some occasions call for a bolder fashion statement.

Which is where the Otis College of Art and Design comes in. For its annual fashion show, the California school opted to disregard convention and cap the event with a selection of student-penned motorcycle apparel. Explains founding chairperson Rosemary Brantley, “We chose to close the fashion show with the motorcycle clothes instead of our usual evening wear because these clothes are so exciting.”

More than 1000 guests were on hand to view the excitement. Held at the Beverly Hills Hilton, the show was a flourish of flashing, colored lights and reverberating rockand-roll. But it was the finale that

brought down the house. The glamorously styled apparel, shown on male and female models, was created in conjunction with Bates Leathers.

Bates’ Bob Rudolph became involved with the college last year. “I felt that working with the school would expose Bates to new thinking, because these designers had no preconceived stereotypes about what motorcycle leathers should or shouldn’t be,” he says. “Plus, there was the publicity.”

Rudolph served as a consultant to the six male and six female students who developed the collection. Rudolph emphasized they should focus first on function, then concentrate on style and fit.

John Aldrich’s design epitomizes Rudolph’s suggestions. His tight-fitting, two-piece suit incorporates kevlar and carbon-fiber body armor beneath the leather. “I was trying to be very anatomical,” says Aldrich of the $2500 outfit. “I wanted an exoskeletal look. Also, it had to be flashy for the runway, but still have safety gear.”

Although the women’s apparel used less safety paraphernalia, the designs were cutting-edge, style-wise. Dori Chang’s blue-and-silver one-piece suit, for example, really stood out. Driven by her fascination with machinery and cybernetic art, Chang cited space-age robots as her inspiration. Not completely forsaking protection, Chang included double layers of leather at the elbows and shoulders. “But I really focused more on the design,” she admits about the $850 suit.

Tina Yang, like the rest of the design team, researched motorcycles and leathers before putting pen to paper.

During this process, she discovered a fondness for HarleyDavidsons. Entranced by the custom paint jobs she saw, Yang worked copper-and-gold flames into her $600 threepiece design. “I really wanted to work with leather, and the motorcycle apparel was very different from what we usually do,” says Yang.

Because all of the designs were created under Bates’ tutelage, some are tentatively scheduled for production. “I’ve looked at the designs, and there are a few we’d like to do,” says Bates President Lance Grindle. “A lot of people say that Bates has been stuck in the ’60s, and we want to move into the 21st Century-bring the company up to date.”

Given these students’ impressive designs, Grindle’s task

seems a simple one.

Wendy F. Black