Baracuta was founded in the late 19th Century in Manchester – at that time the raincoat manufacture capital of the world – originally producing rainwear for the likes of Burberry and Aquascutum. In 1937 the company began producing a jacket named the G9, which over the next few decades would become an icon of British style. Better known by its nickname, the 'Harrington' jacket, the G9 has been adopted by almost every youth subculture from Mod to Punk, and famously worn by everyone from Elvis and Frank Sinatra to Steve McQueen and the Clash.
Baracuta is now under the stewardship of WP Lavori in Corso, an Italian company that has been one of the most influential and highly regarded forces in the menswear industry over the last 30 years. One of WP's greatest success stories is Woolrich, an iconic American outdoors brand that has made the difficult transition from domestic American sportswear supplier to international 'heritage' menswear brand. Key to this success was WP's creation of Woolrich Woolen Mills, a premium line originally designed by Daiki Suzuki (of Engineered Garments fame), which helped to bring the Woolrich story to the attention of a new, fashion-conscious customer base.
WP has employed a similar tactic with Baracuta, creating Baracuta Blue Label under the creative control of Kenichi 'Kenny' Kusano, the former creative director of Japanese institution Beams+. During his tenure at Beams+, Kenny helped to popularise "The good-old American styles" in Japan, updating the iconic Ivy, preppy and American trad looks for the mainstream Japanese market. The brand found international success from 2010, when Trunk became its first stockist outside of Japan, introducing Beams+ to a western audience. As someone with a detailed understanding and appreciation of American and British style, Kenny is ideally placed to return Baracuta to its rightful position as a British icon.
With Baracuta now in in stock at Trunk, we caught up with Kenny to chat about his latest project.
Trunk: Can you tell us a little about Baracuta Blue Label?
Kenny Kusano: I approached this project by looking at the history of Baracuta and I realized it was a great British brand - the emphasis for Baracuta is and always has been function over fashion. In this project I used many fabrics that are traditionally used by the British army such as herringbone cotton and poplin. Most important was the emphasis on its functionality and ease of wear. Baracuta is for everyday use and should be fun to wear – from Hollywood to Carnaby Street, through to sport (golf) and rock music, and from British culture to Americana, Baracuta is the original.
- Kenichi 'Kenny' Kusano.
T: What is the story of the SS14 collection?
KK: This collection is about ‘The Story of the Seaside’. This season I designed by imagining wearing Baracuta by the seaside - using the colours from yacht sails, international flags (2-3 colours) and military olive. For fabrics I used water repellent material ‘3X DRY’ from Schoeller, and Irish linens. I tried to use functional materials which are normally used in active sportswear for town wear. Irish linen has an elegant character with a hint of natural material. On the other hand, I used ripstop cotton – a fabric traditionally used by the British army – for the military olive version.
I am suggesting summer marine style by coordinating with the olive colour. I like to match Baracuta with white bottoms such as a pair of white shorts or a pair of white trousers. On top it will look good with polo shirts which are getting popular again. For shoes I’d wear a pair of Converse All-star white sneakers.
T: Where do you find design inspiration each season?
KK: I get inspiration from everything I see. I like to absorb many things in a neutral state of mind.
T: Do you have a favourite destination for travel? Would you mind recommending a few local spots to visit?
KK: London always inspires me. It’s the city I can feel the link between now and the past when culture and fashion were lots closer.
San Francisco is my current favourite city. This city always makes me think about quality of life. La Vie, Green Apple Books and Caffe Trieste are my favourites in San Francisco. All these places were introduced to me by local friends. The crab dishes in a Vietnamese style at La Vie are very unique. Green Apple Books opens until late at night. Caffe Trieste is full of locals and the cappuccino and café latte are great.
T: What are your 5 essential items for travel?
KK: Fragrance – this is one of the items that I can use to bring myself back no matter where I am. A cigar is my companion for a relaxing time. Pencil and memo pad – I like to jot down the things I see and feel on my trip. Jogging shoes, to help reduce jet–lag. Spray for my throat – I have weak throat so I like to use it when my throat gets uncomfortable.
A warm thank you to Kenny from all of us at Trunk for taking the time to talk to us. For more from behind the scenes at Trunk, like us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram and Twitter.