Stutterheim, mightn’t be a brand you think you’ve heard of before, but they recently worked along a number of high profile brands including Balmain, Lanvin and Balenciaga on a collaboration collection curated by Shawn Carter aka Jay Z and housed by the Uber retailer Barneys New York, entitled “A New York Holiday.”
The collection includes a black leather backpack from Balenciaga, a black square-print scarf from Balmain, a hoodie from Rick Owens, a tailored jacket from Lanvin, a black leather duffel with faux crocodile trim from Proenza Schouler and an 18-karat-gold double ring from Hoorsenbuhs. Though a majority of the brands involved worked on a single piece, a few explored further territory. The Elder Statesman, for example, created a black-and-ivory color-blocked cashmere blanket as well as a cashmere ski mask, OK. Jay Z conceived the entire range within a white, black, silver and gold color scheme.
“This is my first collaboration, as my rain project is quite new,” said Stutterheim creative director and founder Alexander Stutterheim, who crafted a raincoat with gold snap buttons for the assortment. “Initially, I had intended for it to remain a solo project because I did not want anything to compromise my ideas and design, but I have always appreciated Jay Z’s unique creativity. He also seems like a nice person, husband and father, which is just as important to me.
However, Stutterheim’s back story is as interesting as any project with Mr Z, his range is very much inspired by his Grandfather and impressive muse who was a poetry writing Fisherman by day and managed a local theatre in Stockholm by night. One day when he was in his Grandfather’s barn he came across his old rain coat. He describes it as, “It was both stunningly cool and very practical (although as big as a tent). With great care, I brought it back home to my kitchen and imagined it in an updated, contemporary version. A homage to my granddad, and the quest for life”.
After what can only be described as a labour of Love, Stutterheim, with the help of a couple of skilled craftsmen & women, who opposed great attention to materials and detail they realised their raincoats should be handmade. A great way to honour his granddad’s durable and practical raincoat.
The coat. With all its seams taped and sealed, in the very best quality. Handmade and with a discreet, classical cut. The first 200 coats – Arholma Svart – were made and sold in his apartment. Each coat was signed and numbered by the seamstress, as they still are, to really make sure the quality matched the very highest of standards. However, after a couple of months, (when his neighbours became suspicious of all the people in black rain coats) Alexander had to move the business to another location.
