Leather jacket with Captain Scarlett badge

The Chills etched their way into the New Zealand rock consciousness in 1986 with 'I Love My Leather Jacket', written by Martin Phillipps. The song was dedicated to Martyn Bull, who had been the drummer of The Chills when they recorded the classic song 'Pink Frost', but shortly after he was diagnosed with leukaemia and died on 18 July 1983 at the age of 22. Black leather usually has negative associations of rebellion but in this case it represents tenderness and enduring affection for a friend. Read more about wearing the colour black in the New Zealand Fashion Museum publication Black: The history of black in fashion, society and culture in New Zealand.

Details

Credit: Garment loan courtesy of Martin Phillipps
Copyright: Creative Commons BY-NC-ND 4.0 Licence
Material: Leather, satin lining, Captain Scarlett badge
Colour: Black
Label: Unknown
Date: 1980s