Maison Margiela Indian Ranger… an unexpected repro!

[Aloysius]

I was looking through an old clothing discussion on another site, in which someone was discussing a jacket by the famous fashion house Maison Margiela, which has come up with a lot of influential modern designs like the Five-Zip, and I realized it was an Indian Ranger!

This grabbed my attention because usually fashion house takes on rider jackets are pretty awful (like the infamous SLP jacket, which is a boxy take on a Lewis Lightning with one of the pockets switched out for a Perfecto ticket pocket), and because Indian Ranger repros aren't common. I haven't even seen one from Sugar Cane (which repros other Indian items, just Aero's famous version that I own and love.

Reproduction of a model found in Boston and dating back to the 50s.

The item description confirms that this is in fact a Ranger.

It looks like, apart from making it in a lighter weight leathers for obvious reasons, they made a great effort to get the jacket right. The jacket immediately reminded me of the Fidelity Indian Ranger @handymike posted last year, and looking at them side by side, this is clearly the model they chose to reproduce.

(photo of handymike's Fidelity)


All of the details match up, even the collar shape, belt studding, sleeve zips, pocket zip type and direction. I assume they're not using deadstock Talon zippers, but then if I were buying a fashion house jacket, I don't think I would want 60 year old tarnished zippers!

They even kept the one piece back, which could not have been cheap with this leather!

Anyway, I thought this was really cool and pleasantly surprising.

 

[Monitor]

I don't know which came first but SLP already did their Indian Ranger / Fidelity inspired rider in 2014 which, to me, is even nicer. I posted it a while ago. They made it in oiled calf which is supposedly nicest leather they ever used on anything.

Apart from pocket zipper gussets, the jacket looks identical and ideal. White details are done tastefully and classy.

 

[Aloysius]

I don't know which came first but SLP already did their Indian Ranger / Fidelity inspired rider in 2014 which, to me, is even nicer. I posted it a while ago. They made it in oiled calf which is supposedly nicest leather they ever used on anything.

Apart from pocket zipper gussets, the jacket looks identical and ideal. White details are done tastefully and classy.

I like this a lot, certainly more than the ugly Lightning/Perfecto hybrid they put out these days. Have you gotten ahold of one yet?

The Margiela is unusual though in how many details they replicate that you wouldn't expect from a fashion house (like the distinct collar shape, the one-piece back, zipper type, etc). Much more repro brand territory, which is what surprised me.

 

[Aloysius]

Looks like the Japanese brand Trophy Clothing now has their own version of the Indian Ranger out.

This one seems to be based on the early 50s model, so in between what Aero is reproing and the Fidelity that MM reproed. It pretty much remakes the whole thing except without a belt.

I'm also remembering now that while browsing online a few weeks ago, I noticed that, among the otherwise totally generic designs one of the cheap Indian Motorcycle merchandise leather jackets has some Ranger design cues. I'd have to look that up.