THE CRAFTSMANSHIP BEHIND AERON’S BEST-SELLER LEATHER BLAZER
Through AERON’s innovative tailoring and artisanal attention to detail, traceable lamb leather is translated into a timeless staple: the Mercedes blazer.
With a family background in tailoring and textile trade, it was inevitable for Eszter Áron to start a career in fashion. Through her education and early work experience, it was evident to her that the foundation of a successful business is an in-house atelier. Since AERON’s founding in 2012, the Budapest-based brand’s in-house atelier has become the center of innovation, nurturing the tradition of classic tailoring while modernizing the process to create state-of-the-art pieces that reflect the modern woman’s sartorial day-to-day.
THE HERO
The brand’s best-seller Mercedes blazer is one of the best examples of in-house expertise. An expression of unrivaled craftsmanship, the blazer was born through perfecting an earlier prototype by listening to the women who wear the brand. With its signature high slit on the back, clean lines, and boxy fit, it became a success in the FW21 collection and remained a staple offering in each AERON collection since then. It is made of 84 individual components, and in total, it takes 16 hours to complete this piece in the brand's in- house atelier, with the participation of 4 craftswomen in the process.
THE MATERIAL
The leather used for this blazer comes as a byproduct of the meat industry — based on the creative direction of the type of leather preferred to be used, only suppliers contracted that are certified and traceable. Lamb leather is soft and elastic which translates as a comfortable piece that adapts to its wearer's shape over time, while durable which results in a timeless piece: a garment to cherish forever and likely to pass down to the next generation as a family heirloom. By time leather builds a patina, which adds to the unique appeal of this piece.
THE TRICK
Sampling needs the precision work of an engineer to create the perfectly minimal silhouette: to achieve the ideal envisioned by Eszter Áron, the Mercedes blazer comes alive only with one single seam line. Firstly, this allows the use of only the most valuable, strongest, and even thickness part of the leather, and secondly, it gives a slight curve to the feminine bodice that is nearly invisible to the untrained eye, only noticeable while wearing. As our head developer commented, in this one single seam line, she expressed her whole life: it reflects decades-long expertise in dressmaking.
THE PROCESS
Pattern design is digitalized and optimized to avoid piling up waste during the pattern-cutting process. Once the individual particles of leather, lining, and canvas are cut, the assembling starts. Each seamstress has her unique way to turn 2D into 3D: one starts with details: creates the flap on the packet, and the lapels first — another starts with building the jacket from the inside to the outside and creates the inner lining first.
As they guide us through the process, they explain: the most challenging part is to connect the arms with the shoulders, as it needs extreme precision and a sense of style to result in an as elegantly effortless garment, as the Creative Designer imagined. The creation process involves endless ironing to avoid permanent breaks on the leather and ends with sewing the buttons by hand with a special needle that has 3 blades on the sides. The finishing touch is to “break down the collar” — to steam an elegant curve that gives body to the lapel.
