Aero Leather Clothing trial update

[nick123]

I like the AL Roadster. But even that's a near copy of the Highwayman. And most of the AL jackets just look like rushed Aero knockoffs. Without the refinement. The whole AL website and sudden surfacing has always left a bitter taste in my mouth. So it doesn't surprise me what went on.

 

[tropicalbob]

I had to laugh at Giles of IH"s comment that the law case against WL has "... absolutely nothing to do with Alexander Leathers." Also, you have to wonder how those employees who left Aero feel when they read of Ken's retirement plans for them. I can hear the heads banging on tables from here.

 

[kronos77]

This is disgusting. If it is all true, I hope they all get what is coming to them.

 

[tropicalbob]

I like the AL Roadster. But even that's a near copy of the Highwayman. And most of the AL jackets just look like rushed Aero knockoffs. Without the refinement. The whole AL website and sudden surfacing has always left a bitter taste in my mouth. So it doesn't surprise me what went on.

I really think you've hit it on the head there, Nick, and I've often thought the same thing about the AL jackets. The refinement of which you speak is Ken's passion for what he's doing: his gut feeling on why a seam has to be cut a certain way. As with all crafts, there are some things that can't be taught.

 

[Bunyip]

Sum total so far: http://www.ironheart.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=4627.750

I was wondering when or if this would pop up. I'm wondering if AL will release a statement. They are in a pickle after WL ceased to be MD only to be replaced by he of 108 jackets. Absolutley bizarre, very brazen, and just completely outlandish to me.

 

[wdw]

As with "he of 108 jackets", there seems to more to the Iron Heart connection than we're being told.

I remember IH were all ***g-ho about Aero on their forum until KC came back, then they dropped all mention completely, even the separate thread. That was replaced by lots of love for AL.

The deafening silence about all this on the IH AL thread is interesting. Are they carrying out Lawless-esque, Stalinist purges of any dissenting comments?

And as for the patterns bombshell, no great surprise, but talk about blatant. I assume these copied patterns are no longer at Aero, as spares for safekeeping, but were simply taken up the road to AL to save them the bother of creating anything.

 

[nick123]

I really think you've hit it on the head there, Nick, and I've often thought the same thing about the AL jackets. The refinement of which you speak is Ken's passion for what he's doing: his gut feeling on why a seam has to be cut a certain way. As with all crafts, there are some things that can't be taught.

I'm in a rotten mood tonight, so excuse the sour tone. Of course there's merit in the AL jackets. I'd love to own many I've seen posted here, and I'm sure many people are delighted with their jackets. What is missing from them, I think, is not only that distinctly Scottish? refinement that magically expresses itself in the Aero jackets, but also that rich company history. To me, that's a huge selling point with Aero. You're buying history. I can't comment on the employees who went to AL. I'm sure they're good people the same as Aero. But I know Aero heavily endorses psychedelic music because they've more or less lived alongside it. So besides the jackets, I've always found that to be my little love affair with them. The history. It's something special. Are Aero perfect? No. But they're damn cool. And they've always treated me well.

 

[Fanch]

I arrived a bit late for this as I had a dinner seminar tonight. Sloan just confirmed what I had suspected for a long time, although I am sickened at the magnitude of the copied patterns and the apparent duplicity of more than one individual (WL). I will say no more as "the thing speaks for itself" (res ipsa loquitur.)

 

[HoosierDaddy]

It says a lot about the Calders that when all this deception finally came to light, they made an almost immediate effort to correct things with the customer and others at more cost to themselves right in the middle of things falling apart for them as well. On the other hand, the guilty party/parties moved on with no sympathy for Aero or anyone else.

 

[Big J]

It says a lot about the Calders that when all this deception finally came to light, they made an almost immediate effort to correct things with the customer and others at more cost to themselves right in the middle of things falling apart for them as well. On the other hand, the guilty party/parties moved on with no sympathy for Aero or anyone else.

Yeah, I agree with you about that. The first thing Ken did was make sure that customers got the jackets they ordered. Like the Moyles fraud and the storse scandal, Ken's first priority has always been to get things straight with customers. That's pretty impressive.

 

[Benny Holiday]

I'm sickened at the way Lauder stabbed Ken in the back like that. To deliberately and painstakingly rip off someone who had put so much trust and faith in him. What a %^$#@. To coin my Dad's favourite curse, I hope his b*lls shrivel up and drop off.

 

[Superfluous]

I had to laugh at Giles of IH"s comment that the law case against WL has "... absolutely nothing to do with Alexander Leathers."

there seems to more to the Iron Heart connection than we're being told. . . . The deafening silence about all this on the IH AL thread is interesting.

The AL thread on the IH forum is all about WL. Giles repeatedly referred to his collaborative efforts with WL in particular. WL was the man and the centerpiece of the relationship. In fact, when Giles started the AL thread on the IH forum on March 5, 2013, the following was Giles' first sentence: "Will from Alexander Leathers has been sending me samples of jackets over the last couple of months."

During 2014, Giles made the following posts in the AL IH forum demonstrating that Will was the focus of the relationship between IH and AL:

October 29, 2014: "Mine and Will's interpretation of a Buco J100 is inbound" (i suspect posts like this will be removed shortly from the IH forum)

October 10, 2014: "I spent some time on the phone with Will@Alexander this morning...."

October 7, 2014: "Will@Alexander sent it to me in feverish excitement earlier....."

July 18, 2014: "Will has not managed to find the time to make up the pattern yet...."

July 14, 2014: "Will is completely bogged down with making a **** load of stuff for NC, I have to wait until he surfaces......."

May 27, 2014: "I have asked Will@Alexander to get me 500ft of vintage FQHH in Tan."

May 23, 2014: "So these are the hide options I'm discussing with Will"

May 23, 2014: "Will has his instructions...."

May 22, 2014: "Hides are with Will at the moment and he is making a third sample for me."

May 18, 2014: "we got Will to replace with a really nice Riri zipper"

April 23, 2014: "We used some goat that Will@Alexader had in stock"

March 6, 2014: "Let me chat to Will....."

February 27, 2014: "Will@Alexander would take it back off me"

February 18, 2014: "So Will is going to make me one of each and I'll sell the one I don't want......."

February 18, 2014: "I've asked Will to get enough of each leather in from Horween to make 3 or 4 of each. . . . In Will's words. 'it'll feckin mark before you get the feckin thing on'. Oh, and I've checked, Will has the most amazing light coloured horn buttons that he says will 'look feckin brilliant mon'."

February 17, 2014: "Just spoken to Will."

February 17, 2014: "I'm just chatting with Will about . . . "

January 23, 2014: "Most of the key staff left Aero to move to Will@Alexander....."

Then, when the story broke that criminal charges had been filed against WL, IH/Giles quickly removed the posts on the AL thread referencing the charges and buried them elsewhere in the forum, explaining that WL is innocent until proven guilty.

Now that WL has been found guilty, Giles states that the criminal conduct had nothing to do with AL. :eusa_doh:

Ps: I suspect my IH forum membership has just been cancelled. Oh well.

 

[wdw]

@Superfluous - ouch! :eusa_clap. Classic post.

Better change your IH moniker from now on.

 

[pawineguy]

Well done @superfluous. I wonder if AL invoices them or if they have the same deal as when Will was with Aero?

 

[Bunyip]

Unreal....very thorough Super! you sound like my ex giving me a touch up.

 

[Edward]

I was wondering when or if this would pop up. I'm wondering if AL will release a statement. They are in a pickle after WL ceased to be MD only to be replaced by he of 108 jackets. Absolutley bizarre, very brazen, and just completely outlandish to me.

I expect we'll see statements from several affect parties, in particular both companies involved, but not until after the sentencing on 29 May.

 

[wanz]

Yeah, I agree with you about that. The first thing Ken did was make sure that customers got the jackets they ordered. Like the Moyles fraud and the storse scandal, Ken's first priority has always been to get things straight with customers. That's pretty impressive.

The whole thing is depressing but it makes me respect Ken and the rest of the family even more. I would say that it is equally impressive that Ken basically reinvented the Aero line on the fly in response. If there is a silver lining to this whole ordeal, it is that we have a whole set of amazing designs that may not have happened otherwise and will ultimately make Aero a stronger company.

 

[bretron]

The AL thread on the IH forum is all about WL. Giles repeatedly referred to his collaborative efforts with WL in particular. WL was the man and the centerpiece of the relationship. In fact, when Giles started the AL thread on the IH forum on March 5, 2013, the following was Giles' first sentence: "Will from Alexander Leathers has been sending me samples of jackets over the last couple of months."

During 2014, Giles made the following posts in the AL IH forum demonstrating that Will was the focus of the relationship between IH and AL:

October 29, 2014: "Mine and Will's interpretation of a Buco J100 is inbound" (i suspect posts like this will be removed shortly from the IH forum)

October 10, 2014: "I spent some time on the phone with Will@Alexander this morning...."

October 7, 2014: "Will@Alexander sent it to me in feverish excitement earlier....."

July 18, 2014: "Will has not managed to find the time to make up the pattern yet...."

July 14, 2014: "Will is completely bogged down with making a **** load of stuff for NC, I have to wait until he surfaces......."

May 27, 2014: "I have asked Will@Alexander to get me 500ft of vintage FQHH in Tan."

May 23, 2014: "So these are the hide options I'm discussing with Will"

May 23, 2014: "Will has his instructions...."

May 22, 2014: "Hides are with Will at the moment and he is making a third sample for me."

May 18, 2014: "we got Will to replace with a really nice Riri zipper"

April 23, 2014: "We used some goat that Will@Alexader had in stock"

March 6, 2014: "Let me chat to Will....."

February 27, 2014: "Will@Alexander would take it back off me"

February 18, 2014: "So Will is going to make me one of each and I'll sell the one I don't want......."

February 18, 2014: "I've asked Will to get enough of each leather in from Horween to make 3 or 4 of each. . . . In Will's words. 'it'll feckin mark before you get the feckin thing on'. Oh, and I've checked, Will has the most amazing light coloured horn buttons that he says will 'look feckin brilliant mon'."

February 17, 2014: "Just spoken to Will."

February 17, 2014: "I'm just chatting with Will about . . . "

January 23, 2014: "Most of the key staff left Aero to move to Will@Alexander....."

Then, when the story broke that criminal charges had been filed against WL, IH/Giles quickly removed the posts on the AL thread referencing the charges and buried them elsewhere in the forum, explaining that WL is innocent until proven guilty.

Now that WL has been found guilty, Giles states that the criminal conduct had nothing to do with AL. :eusa_doh:

Ps: I suspect my IH forum membership has just been cancelled. Oh well.

Love it! You're like the VLJ watch dog, Superf! Keepin em honest.

#PeoplesChamp

Guessing there won't be much uncensored or objective commentary from members over there... Saying AL had no role was like saying the Pats had nothing to do with them flabby pigskins (sorry, my 12th Man colors are coming out)

 

[Big J]

The whole thing is depressing but it makes me respect Ken and the rest of the family even more. I would say that it is equally impressive that Ken basically reinvented the Aero line on the fly in response. If there is a silver lining to this whole ordeal, it is that we have a whole set of amazing designs that may not have happened otherwise and will ultimately make Aero a stronger company.

I agree completely. I know from personal dealings with Ken that he is 100% real gentleman, but to build a company of your own, retire, then to have to come back to all this, and not give up but rather take the whole thing apart and put it back together again says volumes about his character. How much respect can I express? Not enough.

 

[AdeeC]

One wonders why so many staff went with WL. No doubt many were cultivated, misled and corrupted.