A reversible, silk Sukajan with double Sky Dragon & Tiger embroidery. (From the TCW Collection)
The Sukajan jacket is not a simple souvenir.Born from American G.I.’s bringing them back home as gifts, the Sukajan morphed into a symbol of post World War II Japanese youth rebellion and has become a modern fashion icon. The term “Sukajan” has loose origins but we can narrow it down to something meaning close to ‘Sky Dragon Jumper’ - or just ‘jumper’ - a reference to wartime parachute servicemen. The jackets are defined by their materials and style: Silk, embroidery and cut like a baseball uniform jacket.They’re bold.They’re bad.They say something. Originally designed for American export, these have since interestingly been co-accepted by the Japanese market.The 1960’s Japanese market initially associated the Sukajan with cultural rebellion, juvenile delinquency and gangs.This attitude has since faded as new conflicts diluted the market - the Korean War and Vietnam - with new designs and slogans changing the way the jackets were received. Sukajans have been worn by everyone - Mick Jagger likes to wear them when touring.Ryan Gosling wore one in the film Drive (2011).Kurt Russell wore a Sukajan variation as Stuntman Mike in Grindhouse (2007). Sukajan should be carefully chosen - especially vintage pieces.Many of these were designed with intention to convey a message of sacrifice and experiences of war.