The $15,000 Aimé Leon Dore Jacket, Explained (EXCLUSIVE)
Aimé Leon Dore is not a brand known for its ostentatious showpieces. But on the occasion of its 10th anniversary, well, even Aimé Leon Dore isn't above a little flash.
Meet the $19,000 Jeff Hamilton for Aimé Leon Dore leather jacket. Only 10 ever made. Ever. And they've all been claimed.
It is indeed a big deal, a painstakingly assembled collage of leather shapes sculpted into a New York skyline on the front and the famous Saint Anthony Monastery mural of a horse-riding St. George on the rear.
"Every little piece is hand-cut, hand-stitched, and glued by hand. Then a single-needle stitch," Hamilton tells Highsnobiety. "I always like when I create a piece of art. I handwrite notes on it, you know, put the leather here, put some crocodile there, sometimes I make a mistake and scratch it off so you [see] the process [in the] product."
Jeff Hamilton is a veritable streetwear institution, having designed countless leather jackets for NBA legends for the past three decades. In turn, his high-vis, ultra-graphic style has inspired countless imitators and ample collaborations.
Supreme, for instance, has done both. It actually partnered with Hamilton in 2022 but only after creating a variety of very Hamilton-adjacent jackets.
So, Aimé Leon Dore may seem a little an unusual beneficiary of Hamilton's intentionally indulgent artistic approach. After all, this is the grown-up streetwear brand that slings wool blazers alongside single-tone sneakers and espresso shots.
But there really could be no more perfect a union. Since its inception, ALD has overtly acknowledged basketball's stylistic influence, from the fan-favorite "Molina Dunk" sweater to its Sonny basketball program.
Bringing Jeff Hamilton in to commemorate a big moment is only too perfect for anyone who loves not just basketball, but basketball culture.
"I always like to go to the roots of where it starts and Teddy [Santis, ALD founder] being from a Greek heritage, [we had the idea of] merging it with the heritage of New York and Queens," Hamilton explains, hence the Queens bridge sitting front and center and St. George on the rear, sitting pretty amidst croc leather.
It's a handsome contrast that reflects not just the current state of ALD but also Hamilton's devotion to his art.
"In the last few years my audience has grown, [so] I really tried to even raise my bar even higher," he says.
"I try to add more techniques — besides the actual jacket, the complexity of the jacket itself is really [in] the storytelling. I want the consumer [to] always to know that my DNA is associated with the product. There’s a direct connection between myself and the consumer. So, I put my seal on it. I sign it. Every single jacket gets packaged and gets delivered especially just for Aime Leon Dore. It's really the full package, of knowing that when you get it, it’s not like you're getting just a jacket."
