Hi everyone,
first post here in the forums. I have been reading up on this thread from time to time and found it very interesting. The amount of passion for Agent K‘s signature piece of garment is evident. I share that passion and have even made some drawings to contribute here but never came around to it.
I have time to post now to give another perspective.
Soon after watching BR2049 the need to add a coat to my clothing collection grew stronger and stronger (everyone knows that feeling). So the research began. My search parameters:
- a high quality garment that fits me well and lasts a long time (buy once, cry once)
- it should be practical and comfortable for daily wear (which is something costumes for movies don‘t necessarily have to be - they just need to look distinctive and cool on screen)
- if the above two criteria are fulfilled, 80% screen accuracy would be great to have (the essence of the coat has to be there, details can be changed if necessary)
- 100% screen accuracy is quite likely not achievable in one coat, because there are always multiple pieces made for filming, each with different properties (BR2049 is no different in that regard)
- it shouldn’t have that cosplay feeling!
The last point already was enough to disqualify all the vendors I found.
When I discovered the offers from Soul Revolver my immediate response was „That‘s it!“. True, details have been changed, that much was immediately apparent, but the essence is there. And reading what they are about and what they have on offer, it was clear that they are not exclusively a cosplay provider, but rather a high quality Italian leather jacket maker. Their screen replicas still have to be stylish and of high quality craftsmanship.
Of course, I inquired about possible changes and some other things before purchase and SeAnn‘s answers were quick, polite, precise and to the point - just as I like it.
By the way, I also reached out to custom garment makers (not cosplay) where thousands of dollars would have to be spent. The answer was that the coat design by Renée April is fascinating and that they can get me close, but would not copy another designer‘s work outright. They would be able to give me their interpretation.
One has to respect what a person or a business is about.
To bemoan that a designer respects another one‘s work or that a vendor sticks to his business model never occurred to me. The explanation given by SR back in August was very reasonable. And product revisions in many industries are not measured in weeks and months, they are measured in years.
These things take time.
For example, I am a fan of Indiana Jones - a childhood hero. Last year Raiders of the Lost Ark had it‘s 40th anniversary. In 2020 I began my research about Indy gear during the first lockdown. After four decades we know a lot about the props and costumes. And you can choose from many high quality vendors - the situation is pretty much ideal. Only your wallet is the limiting factor.
One interesting fact about the Raiders jacket is, that the company (Wested in the UK) which has a direct connection to the maker of the jacket used in RotLA and can sort of claim that they are the original makers, has for the longest time chosen to sell a jacket with a different pattern and features. Why? Because it was a wise business decision. A street-wise cut, as they call it, will fit 80% of potential customers the best, and e.g. making them with a leather facing (as opposed to the screen-used jacket, which was cobbled together because of time constraints) is a desirable feature of a quality leather jacket.
In the end Wested didn’t get my business because they never answered my questions. I went with Steele & Jones - two super-fans from Argentina. They have actually have managed to get access to screen-used jackets and get you as close to screen-accuracy as you like or make alterations. A unique service and I can highly recommend them.
I think when we reach a similar point with the coat, everyone in this thread will have peace of mind (or maybe not - because everybody wants something different). Will we reach that point? Maybe. But it will take time.
In September I pulled the trigger on the SR coat and the ordering process guided by SeAnn was a breeze. Their alternative jacket option was very tempting and it is a very cool offer in and of itself by SR - even more practical than the coat and possibly the better choice for many. Yet, I went with the coat and I was relieved that I can pull off the look. The first day I wore it was a very good one because of the many compliments I got - I still get them.
So, the coat works. Service and communication is very good. The price for the coat is high but reflected in the craftsmanship. Import charges by customs hurt a bit (damn Brexit) but no fault of SR. I am a happy customer - just to make a counterpoint to the sentiment here („screw them!“). I hope
Lyrion reads this.
I mean, every maker that is active here has felt the heat at some point or the other.
Indy Magnoli got criticized for not laying open their sources of information and delivering updates ASAP (they are swamped with work, guys).
Jameel Ur got criticized for his „tone“ (wrongly, I feel), even though his responsiveness to input from this forum has been nothing short of spectacular. To say nothing of the 100 e-mails to SR…
Patience is a virtue. And by rushing things mistakes will be made.
Case in point: I think the shifting of the collar on existing SR coats is a mistake. It solves one issue while creating others.
View attachment 1593174
This I made some time ago. While shifting the collar makes it more accurate on one side the protruding collar on the other is not what we see on screen. The top left picture shows an arrangement of the coat not seen elsewhere in the movie. It is the rooftop scene. The blue line shows the flowing line between left lapel and collar. What we don’t see is an arrangement like the red line. The display coat (top right) shows no significant sticking out of the left collar. The lower picture should not be misunderstood: adding material to the left lapel is not the solution (and can’t be done on existing coats anyway).
View attachment 1593175
This was made to show that the top sides of the lapels are curved. They form a curved neckline when in closed position. I think the WSL coat does not have these - they are straight. Thus
Mechanismo was able to install a zipper between collar and lapel on the left side (not screen-accurate, but a very practical feature). The Soul Revolver lapels curve. Also evident on the various pictures: no protruding left collar. Or it is made to behave this way by the four stitches. The four stitches are a feature that I wouldn’t appreciate on a high quality coat, screen accuracy be damned.
View attachment 1593176
Me, a few days ago, putting on my best Ryan Gosling expression. Shown are important lines of the SR coat pattern. They correspond to the movie coat very well. They are significantly changed in the upper part when collar is shifted. Also shown the asymmetrical waist line. I think only Soul Revolver got this right: when the front of the coat is closed these lines have to meet. The upper elbow line of the sleeve is very much a continuation of the waist line. It doesn‘t look like this from every perspective, but it is close to the movie. On the recent update by
Jameel Ur (which is great) it is different. I think that is because maybe the sleeve details were copied from the 1/6 figure.
The picture in the lower left shows a collar arrangement not seen in the movie. But I like it because it protects the neck from the elements and allows your face to be seen. I only wish the hook and eye closure would be more secure. It opens very easily when walking. The hook and eye closure is positioned on the wrong side of the waist line on the SR, by the way. But I don‘t care. For next autumn I will possibly install a push button there.
View attachment 1593177
Here we see two modified SR coats. By shifting the collar backwards, the right lapel gets bigger and now reaches beyond the shoulder line. It never does this in the movie. Especially on these pictures an asymmetry is visible, which is unlike the movie coat. Renée April‘s design plays with asymmetry, true. But you can’t just shift one part of the pattern without influencing the other parts.
View attachment 1593178
Here we see the lapel never getting past the shoulder line. Rather the shoulder line and the outward lapel line want to be a continuation. The „piping effect“ that continues for a few centimeters below the horizontal shoulder line adds to this. I also think this detail was overlooked when modifying the SR coats.
View attachment 1593179
Here we can see that in more detail. I have no high quality pictures of the back of the shoulders, but the same continuation of the piping can be found there. Very good to see at the start of the movie.
That is enough for today. Have a good one, everybody.