Who first offered "Indy" jackets commercially and when?

[ron521]

I wasn't even aware that Indy-style jackets were available until within the last couple of years. I've never, ever seen another human being wearing one. When I combed the various outlets in the early '80s, all that was available were various bombers, motorcycle jackets and car coats.
So who was first to offer Indy style jackets to the public, and when?

[Indiana Jake]

I am no expert on the subject, but names like Leather Concessionaires and Cooper come to mind. I also understand that Lee Keppler was involved with some jackets early on. Maybe someone who really knows would care to elaborate?

I got an Indy style jacket from Banana Republic about 18+ years ago, but the sleeve and back were different from Indy's jacket. There was a name/number for this jacket, but I seem to have forgotten it. I even went to the trouble of sanding and ageing it. I let a girlfriend have it once I grew out of it. When the Disney Indiana Jones Jacket came out I grabbed one right away. When the Anaheim park opened the Indiana Jones adventure ride, they were selling a Cooper? Jacket. I had to have one. It was the best one I'd seen because it was the only one I'd seen. That was a long time ago!

Indiana Jake

[Texan Scott]

If memory serves me correctly, Lee Keppler may have spearheaded that drive. From what I have read, he looked at film stills and approached LC initially, then G&B, in the 80's. Maybe 'M' can shed some more light on the subject, but G&B may have made the first after market Indy styled jacket?

[eazybox]

I believe Lee Keppler started by selling Leather Concessionaires. I bought one from him, distressed it and later traded it back to him after it no longer fit me. It's the one that used to be pictured on the main site.

Jack

[Michaelson]

If you're talking about jackets using the correct 'Indy' patterns, Lee was first, selling Leather Consessionaires jackets through his Adventure Supply Co. address, though he also used G&B for his own jackets.

Leather Consessionaires became Wested Leather and they sold them under their own flag....and then Cooper, which became U. S. Wings. The Disney jacket was made by Cooper.

G&B finally offered their own in their Expedition jacket around 2000.

All others were spin offs from there.

Regards! Michaelson

[RCSignals]

If you're talking about jackets using the correct 'Indy' patterns, Lee was first, selling Leather Consessionaires jackets through his Adventure Supply Co. address, though he also used G&B for his own jackets.

Leather Consessionaires became Wested Leather and they sold them under their own flag....and then Cooper, which became U. S. Wings. The Disney jacket was made by Cooper.

G&B finally offered their own in their Expedition jacket around 2000.

All others were spin offs from there.

Regards! Michaelson

The way it's written, sounds like Cooper was part of Wested.....

The only 'other' that wasn't a 'spin off' would be Tony Nowak. He did not set out or originally intend to sell the jacket commercially.

[Gringo]

I remember it was around 89(LAST Crusade time) that I could go into a store and buy a Indy jacket(not knowing of vendors at that time). I was just excited to find one!!(it was a Cooper).

[Michaelson]

The way it's written, sounds like Cooper was part of Wested.....

The only 'other' that wasn't a 'spin off' would be Tony Nowak. He did not set out or originally intend to sell the jacket commercially.

Not hardly, but I guess it's all in how you read what I wrote. My point was Leather Consessionaires changed their name to Wested, AND THEN Cooper changed their name to U. S. Wings after David Hack took over the company. Neither of those original vendors are operating under their original names now.

As to Tony, the original question was:

So who was first to offer Indy style jackets to the public, and when?

Tony was not involved in the first 'Indy style jacket' offerings. The ones I listed were the original vendors of the Indy jacket, answering the 'who' part of the post.

The first I remember of Lee Keppler's offerings would have been around 1984 through his magazine ads at the time, to answer the 'when' part of the question.

Regards! Michaelson

[Digger4Glory]

When last Crusade came out I bought a cooper jacket which I still have. It's a pretty well made jacket. I believe I paid around 300.00 for it.

[RCSignals]

I knew that about Cooper, but someone new reading may not.

T took "All others" as being vendors to now. My mistake.

Agreed, from all I can gather from archives here and on the Internet, Lee Keppler although not a manufacturer was first to offer the jackets publicly.

[sithspawn]

[quote="Michaelson]

The first I remember of Lee Keppler's offerings would have been around 1984 through his magazine ads at the time, to answer the 'when' part of the question.

Regards! Michaelson[/quote]


WOW! That early. Wish I'd kown that. The first REAL "Indy" jacket I got was from Lee's ad in the Lucasfilm fan club magazine in 1989.

[Texan Scott]

Can you still buy a jacket in the English lamb hide that used to be the standard offering?

[Michaelson]

I don't believe it's available anymore, Tex. That tannery went under YEARS ago.

Regards! Michaelson

[Texan Scott]

..awww shucks!

[RCSignals]

Lee Keppler worked hard on specs to finally get a correct looking jacket from Leather Concessionaires.
An archive search will bring up a fair bit of info. A while back I posted photos of one of Lee Kepplers jackets from Leather Concessionaires, it would have been one from before he started offering them for sale and was still developing specs. He started working on these very early in the '80s.
The photos should come up in a search.

[RCSignals]

Makes sense since Cooper's jacket was out on the heals of ToD. Thanks for straightening that out _

[Michaelson]

That would make sense.

In my case, though, I never even HEARD of Cooper until years after coming across Lee and his magazine ads, so that's my reference point.....what I found in 'real time', as the internet didn't exist back then.

Regards! Michaelson