Striving for timeless
With BUNNEY, the aim is to make things that are precious. And they can be precious in lots of ways. Very obviously, precious metals have an inherent value and if things are made for an occasion, whether that’s birthdays, weddings, births — commemorations of some moment in time and people’s lives — then they’re special and precious for those reasons. And I think that’s quite unique with jewelry compared to clothes. We want to make things that are timeless.
If you think of something that’s good quality you sometimes think for it to be strong, tough and durable. When we speak about that with a European product, perhaps that quality can be defined by the fineness. Purpose is quite closely tied to quality. With BUNNEY, purpose would be the idea of creating something timeless. So, if it’s a jacket, then I suppose it has to serve a purpose in keeping you dry when it’s raining, but equally it should be timeless.
I was quite interested in sportswear at a young age and I don’t know if that was through running shoes. And I suppose a natural interest in that kind of world meant that outdoor clothing was something that you were aware of. It was exciting to get catalogs from outdoor companies. I was always interested in American brands — they were a bit exotic and the colors were always stranger. So I think it would be from there that I became aware of the GORE-TEX brand. I was quite excited by mountaineering jackets when I was a teenager as well. I didn’t grow up in London, so when you’re looking around in shops on a Saturday, or whatever you’re doing, you’ve got more limited options. Simply by not having easy access to things, you apply extra value to some of them when you see them. I suppose, in very simple terms, it was quite natural that I’d look in sports stores and outdoors stores. When I was a teenager, I went to see friends in San Francisco for skate-related things and while I was there I became interested in some new outdoors brands.
Precious metal and protection
We’ve made a trench coat which is the first to incorporate actual sterling silver onto technical outerwear as far as I know. We created a press-stud and it’ll be hallmarked. We’ve gone to quite extreme measures with the taping inside the hood. Then there’s a workshop coat. We used the fabric that was closest to a natural fabric. I have a really good relationship with my factory and it was, therefore, easy for me to go there with the GORE-TEX brand and with an idea and for them to give me an idea of what I want it to be. There will be one workshop coat that is purely for staff then there will be one on sale. It’s fully seam-taped, three-layer. That design is true work wear.
The analog/digital balance
It’s a really handmade thing partnered with a technical coat. Then you have this balance of something that looks kind of classic and something new. When we talk about technical outerwear, it’s silly to make something backward-facing. It should be future-facing. For me, the thing about technical clothes is finding the balance between analog and digital. If it goes too digital, for me, it’s not interesting. It loses something. But if it goes too analog it becomes a heritage piece and is of less interest.
BUNNEY is about working with the best in field. We have really great partners. In this instance, the GORE-TEX brand offered great fabrics that looked and felt right. The aesthetic is modern but it has to have classical elements. That is really, really key. They have a real support for the product and whom they’re working with. That’s really important.
I think it’s great to have a partner like this. There are parallels with jewelry in that you have a product with a guarantee and a product with a certain amount of accountability in that they’ll offer repairs to an extent. And that GORE-TEX brand logo is like a hallmark — a mark of quality. I have no desire to turn BUNNEY into a fashion brand. I suppose it’s really strange for a jewelry company to have a GORE-TEX product license!
Author: Gary Warnett
