Sloan, I vaguely recall the following additional facts which shed light on and add context to the foregoing (please correct me if I am mistaken):
1. Lauder's copying of Aero's jacket patterns occurred shortly before Lauder founded AL/SB with Alexander (the timing, if accurate, speaks volumes);
2. During the first few weeks/months of its existence, AL/SB released an extraordinary number of different jacket models (more than plausible if AL/SB had independently undertaken the time-consuming development of the underlying patterns);
3. AL/SB's initial jacket models were visually nearly identical to Aero's existing jackets; and
4. An independent jacket expert evaluated one or more of AL/SB's initial jacket models and concluded that it was derived from Aero's pattern.
1. That's correct. Sandy Alexander had approached Ken at an even earlier date with a proposal to buy the company himself. When Ken turned him down he moved to plan b to set up his own rival firm. It's not clear whether Will was brought into the picture at this point or was involved in SA's approach in the first place, but the patterns were moved out of the factory around this time to Will's house for copying.
2. That's correct: the combination of ready-to-use patterns and having poached a significant number of staff allowed AL/SA to establish a sub-Aero type outfit. Will also approached regular Aero customers on the quiet to offer them AL jackets at a knock-down rate in order get the 'Aero-in-all-but-name' idea into circulation.
3. Yep. Though they struggled to get access to Horween or leathers of similar quality.
4. Yes, a lecturer from Heriot Watt University, which has a highly regarded textiles department, was recorded deconstructing one of AL's jackets - HWM copy, I think -and it was found to be next to identical. I think the only real difference was that the label size. which was basically one-up to actual size ie. a 36 was labelled as a 38, thus giving it a 'tight fit'. I suspect Will thought that this would be enough to get him past any accusations of plagiarism.