Aero Leather Clothing trial update

[Big J]

Yeah, I could see AL doing a whole new line of striped clothes. A kind of 'chain-gang' mode for a new generation of hipsters. Kind of 'vintage' gangster. They could kind of link it in with the whole 'jailhouse rock' image.

I'm sure #convicted_criminal_Will_Lauder_of_Alexander_Leathers will be able to get lots of 'inspiration' in the near future, which he can then relate to their mysterious no name designer, who can then make all the designs and patterns in a couple of days no doubt!

Persistent, ain't I?

 

[Big J]

Donkey jacket anyone ?

Ah, the Seal Brown Knight!
I hate donkey jackets. How many donkeys have to give up their hide for one jacket? Unless they wanna make them from storse, in which case I might be in.

 

[HoosierDaddy]

You know..anyone should be able to see the very obvious Aero copying concerning AL and actually realize where and how it came about. It also seems very evident that they have tried to disassociate themselves by changing past company history in order to dishonestly cover up what had, in the beginning, been so vividly illustrated on their web site.
However, I can't see ragging on AL just for the fun of the joke. Since they most likely will never admit the truth about their affiliation with Lauder..the best road to complete recovery for them would be to eventually 'un-Aero' their line of jackets to help set themselves apart from the whole fiasco. Surely that is in future plans (?).

 

[Bunyip]

I wonder HD if this has impacted their business at all? Not much noise about it on other forums, and I'm wondering if they have lost any of their wholesale customers? I wonder what, if anything will happen once sentencing is handed down. Will their retailers care? There's still lots of love on IH forum for AL. I guess if there was then a law suit re patterns, copyrights,patents or whatever there might be more of an impact. As it stands now, with a few edits on the AL homepage and statements etc, it just looks like WL didn't have a big input or much seniority at AL. He was Just a guy that was caught thieving from his old employer?

 

[AdeeC]

Not sure about British/Scottish law but it appears similar to Australian Law. If WL has no prior criminal record he may not have to go to prison for a first offence. In any case Aero's reputation will be restored and/or enhanced and knowledagble and discerning buyers will know who is the "real deal" which is worth plenty in the fashion industry.

 

[HoosierDaddy]

I wonder HD if this has impacted their business at all? Not much noise about it on other forums, and I'm wondering if they have lost any of their wholesale customers? I wonder what, if anything will happen once sentencing is handed down. Will their retailers care? There's still lots of love on IH forum for AL. I guess if there was then a law suit re patterns, copyrights,patents or whatever there might be more of an impact. As it stands now, with a few edits on the AL homepage and statements etc, it just looks like WL didn't have a big input or much seniority at AL. He was Just a guy that was caught thieving from his old employer?

I've wondered that, too. We've discussed it a lot here since there has been a keen interest in the premier leather jacket makers and the differences among them. With our attentiveness and familiarity with various companies, it was easy for many of us to see quite early on that something was not on the up & up. Yet, a few opinions were even posted that it doesn't matter if they copy each other or even if a whole line of jackets are transferred under another company name. Let alone the original company manager helping with that. I don't know how widely publicized the criminal trial was...or just how that will effect the masses. I suppose what happens in the near future will finally tell the tale.
HD

 

[Benny Holiday]

Ah, the Seal Brown Knight!
I hate donkey jackets. How many donkeys have to give up their hide for one jacket? Unless they wanna make them from storse, in which case I might be in.

What about stonkey?

 

[Bunyip]

Not sure about British/Scottish law but it appears similar to Australian Law. If WL has no prior criminal record he may not have to go to prison for a first offence. In any case Aero's reputation will be restored and/or enhanced and knowledagble and discerning buyers will know who is the "real deal" which is worth plenty in the fashion industry.

AdeeC in Australia he would probably get a $5 fine and a 6month good behaviour bond. No conviction recorded. It's getting crazy in Australia. Unless of course he was a bikie, then he would get the death penalty!

 

[Sloan1874]

Scottish courts tend to take a very dim view of this sort of theft, the breach of trust element really bumps it up the criminal scale. Also, this was one of the largest amounts in terms of value that Edinburgh Sheriff Court have ever dealt with, so first offence or not, as the sheriff said, given its seriousness, all sentencing options are available.

 

[AdeeC]

AdeeC in Australia he would probably get a $5 fine and a 6month good behaviour bond. No conviction recorded. It's getting crazy in Australia. Unless of course he was a bikie, then he would get the death penalty!

I know what you mean, blame it all on those loud nuisance Harley riders hanging around popular tourist spots on the weekends.

 

[AdeeC]

Scottish courts tend to take a very dim view of this sort of theft, the breach of trust element really bumps it up the criminal scale. Also, this was one of the largest amounts in terms of value that Edinburgh Sheriff Court have ever dealt with, so first offence or not, as the sheriff said, given its seriousness, all sentencing options are available.

I'll take your word for it. Any guess on what he will get?

 

[Bunyip]

Scottish courts tend to take a very dim view of this sort of theft, the breach of trust element really bumps it up the criminal scale. Also, this was one of the largest amounts in terms of value that Edinburgh Sheriff Court have ever dealt with, so first offence or not, as the sheriff said, given its seriousness, all sentencing options are available.

Friday isn't it?

 

[Sloan1874]

Yup

 

[Edward]

However, I can't see ragging on AL just for the fun of the joke. Since they most likely will never admit the truth about their affiliation with Lauder..the best road to complete recovery for them would be to eventually 'un-Aero' their line of jackets to help set themselves apart from the whole fiasco. Surely that is in future plans (?).

From the off, the best thing for them would have been to come up with a line of jackets that was their own distinct thing. All of the unpleasantness aside, I honestly believe that a major part of why they just never seem to have taken much traction in the market (they can't have been doing huge business, given that those in these parts who were very keen to promote them were always pushing the 'available in two weeks, not taking forever like Aero' line) was just that they've never managed to create their own brand identity. Their range, some homegrown clunkers aside, still looks very much like Aero circa 2011, with one or two models with a few additions. (I'm thinking especially of the one that's a 30s HB with two, small, button pockets at the bottom hem, in the manner of Erich Hartmann's jacket. I'm fairly certain there was a Lauder-era Aero jacket customised exactly like this at the request of one of the regulars round these parts). I don't know why they never did anything like the Aero Stewart/Stuart, a design Aero actually pulled when Will left, saying they considered it to belong to him as a design. [huh] The marketing strategy looked to be to sell similar jackets to the same market as Aero, but at a cheaper price - GBP100-150 less, on average, I think. Not one I'd have risked personally..... I mean, how often do you find people in our niche saying "well, I really wanted that one, but this is almost the same, and I'll save a hundred quid"? I'm sure it happens, but it doesn't strike me that price is uppermost in mind for most people who really want an Aero. In such a niche market, it must be very hard to break in with a new brand. Perhaps, given the number of Aero staffers who left to join the new company, they assumed Aero would cease trading in 2012 and leave a gap in the market for AL to fill.

The best thing they could do now would indeed be to develop a completely different line which is distinctly their own. As we know, the company's name has officially been changed to Simmonds Bilt, so maybe once the sentencing is over and this dies down, they'll quietly revamp their line and relaunch with a range replicating the historical SB line.

 

[HoosierDaddy]

You'd think they would, Edward....but the way it all came about (seemingly in defiance) since Aero (Ken) was not interested in selling their business to 'Sandy'...I'm not sure they really care about the flagrant similarities. :eusa_doh:

 

[Big J]

What about stonkey?

Ha ha!
I gotta get me some good Stonkey!

 

[Rudie]

Their range, some homegrown clunkers aside, still looks very much like Aero circa 2011, with one or two models with a few additions. (I'm thinking especially of the one that's a 30s HB with two, small, button pockets at the bottom hem, in the manner of Erich Hartmann's jacket. I'm fairly certain there was a Lauder-era Aero jacket customised exactly like this at the request of one of the regulars round these parts).

Sounds like my two Hartmann/30s Halfbelt clones. They just omitted the two ****** pockets. Both jackets were made by Will and Vicki.

 

[Big J]

From the off, the best thing for them would have been to come up with a line of jackets that was their own distinct thing. All of the unpleasantness aside, I honestly believe that a major part of why they just never seem to have taken much traction in the market (they can't have been doing huge business, given that those in these parts who were very keen to promote them were always pushing the 'available in two weeks, not taking forever like Aero' line) was just that they've never managed to create their own brand identity. Their range, some homegrown clunkers aside, still looks very much like Aero circa 2011, with one or two models with a few additions. (I'm thinking especially of the one that's a 30s HB with two, small, button pockets at the bottom hem, in the manner of Erich Hartmann's jacket. I'm fairly certain there was a Lauder-era Aero jacket customised exactly like this at the request of one of the regulars round these parts). I don't know why they never did anything like the Aero Stewart/Stuart, a design Aero actually pulled when Will left, saying they considered it to belong to him as a design. [huh] The marketing strategy looked to be to sell similar jackets to the same market as Aero, but at a cheaper price - GBP100-150 less, on average, I think. Not one I'd have risked personally..... I mean, how often do you find people in our niche saying "well, I really wanted that one, but this is almost the same, and I'll save a hundred quid"? I'm sure it happens, but it doesn't strike me that price is uppermost in mind for most people who really want an Aero. In such a niche market, it must be very hard to break in with a new brand. Perhaps, given the number of Aero staffers who left to join the new company, they assumed Aero would cease trading in 2012 and leave a gap in the market for AL to fill.

The best thing they could do now would indeed be to develop a completely different line which is distinctly their own. As we know, the company's name has officially been changed to Simmonds Bilt, so maybe once the sentencing is over and this dies down, they'll quietly revamp their line and relaunch with a range replicating the historical SB line.

IMHO, Will led SA to believe that he could buy Ken out of Aero.
But they underestimated both the value of the business, and Kens emotional attachment to it.
Therefore they created AL, and started to undercut Aero in an effort to force them out of business so that AL could take thier market share.
Again, they under estimated Kens will power to keep Aero afloat, and they underestimated Aero customers brand loyalty.
Now that Will Lauder has been convicted, association of him and the AL brand is toxic due to details of the trial in the public domain.
Hence AL has rewritten a lot of its website to play down the WL connection.
AL retailers will 'rally round' since ALs former business model of low prices to under-cut Aero meant that retailers were getting even lower prices and brisk business. They have a financial incentive for defending AL.
But since the brand is now tainted, and since there is clearly some questions to be answered as to where thier designs came from, they have changed tactics, and bought the rights to the SB brand, allowing them to reinvent themselves, and put original SB product range back into production, and cease production of thier current product range over which there are questions of provenance.

 

[Sloan1874]

Don't think Horween will like seeing their product being priced down in this way. Bad for its image as a high end material.

 

[Bunyip]

Don't think Horween will like seeing their product being priced down in this way. Bad for its image as a high end material.

I was under the impression when all of this kicked off with the joint statement by Aero and Horween that they ( horween) weren't going to business with WL/AL. Very surprised that they ended up selling Horweens range. I guess at the end of the day money talks.