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COVID-19 and Jacket Makers

Smithy

Well-Known Member
I thought it might be apt to start a thread about the affect of COVID-19 and the ensuing global shutdown on our hobby's makers. I'll be honest I'm a bit worried about who's still going to be standing at the end of this IF this goes on for an extended period of time. The Norwegian government here extended the current lockdown today until after Easter and to be honest who knows how long this will go on for.

I'm wondering how long our favourite jacket makers can weather a storm of this magnitude and duration. I saw Aero today on their Instagram have now shut up shop and no doubt lots of others are doing the same.

I'm also wondering whether the recent spate of price hikes are going to come back and bite some makers on the arse. High end luxury goods are the last thing people buy when serious crises happen.

I really think we might lose a few makers from this, maybe even a lot depending upon how long this goes on for, and that worries me.

What do the rest of you think?
 

Smithy

Well-Known Member
A mate of mine who works in the health sector said that absolute best case scenario in populations which have cut themselves off and controlled spread, is at least 2 to 3 months.

He said that that is being almost unrealistically optimistic and that it's far more likely to be 6 to 12 months.

Sadly John I think you're right and that we're going to see the demise of some makers because this looks like it's not going to be over next week but go on for a long time.
 

busdrivermike

Well-Known Member
My very simplistic non expert cartoon brain approach
As the worlds Financing is digital now and we are in extreme times
Let’s Just take an extreme measure , get the experts together create
The algorithms needed and just balance everything out, cook the books as they say in the movies
Honestly why not ? If it saves companies the jobs they created, the apartments houses and cars
People stand to loose.
again it's my simplistic cartoon brain idea but as financially everything is now
Recorded digitally this can be done.
a one time global pandemic global financial fix
I’m not saying zero everything out, just using already established
Records to keep everything normal
 
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Silver Surfer

Well-Known Member
i got an email from aero saying that they are closing down manufacturing for a while due to the imperial edict. looks like they are sending made stuff out, but nix on customs. anyone hear from other makers?
 

Heisenberg

Well-Known Member
i got an email from aero saying that they are closing down manufacturing for a while due to the imperial edict. looks like they are sending made stuff out, but nix on customs. anyone hear from other makers?

I ordered from aero yesterday, shipped today ...
i don't know for the futur manufacturing
 

mulceber

Moderator
Yeah, I expect we’ll lose a few makers. BK (and probably Dubow too) seems to be doing ok for the moment, although it’s played havoc with shipping. And it sounds like the jacket market wasn’t that great before this hit. Eastman and Aero will probably be fine in the long run - heck, maybe Eastman will actually feel the need to drum up some business and will have a sale. I’m a bit more worried about the smaller operations. In the shorter term, Headwind and Diamond. In the longer term, maybe BK, Platon, and Five Star as well.

I hope they all make it through.
 

kirova

Well-Known Member
it is certainly worrying times, while I am tempted to grab another jacket from Aero from their current 25% off sale, but I am not sure if I will still have a job, or still be alive when the jacket arrives........

although I haven't heard anything on the grapevine about mass sacking, and I don't have any symptoms of fever and what not, so maybe I am just overreacting......
 

Skip

Well-Known Member
Spot on Tim, but it’s not just the makers is it, it’s all the trades that these guys depend on and order from that go into making a finely crafted leather jacket. The tanneries, haberdashery stores, knits, button press studs, zips. Not to mentioned the struggling postal/ courier services that they depend on on to get your finely crafted to your door.

I know BK, Eastman and Aero use the same Italian tannery, and as Italy is in lockdown, materials will be that much harder to get, if at all in the foreseeable future.

So yeah this is a real serious problem, and I wish some people here( Australia not the forum) would take this deadly serious.
 

kirova

Well-Known Member
yeah Skip seems like ScoMo is still stuffing around about this whole thing, drip feeding it little by little (probably worry that if he goes to full lock down in one go, people will go nuts?) and Gladys has unleashed a whole cruise ship full of people on Sydney just the other day, I think we will need to going into voluntary self isolation..........
 

Flightengineer

Well-Known Member
If this madness will continiue long enough, then people will not need not only repro jackets, but also to much more. Many have already lost their business or job. On the other hand, if in the summer it all ends, then there is a chance. One thing is obvious that the world will probably not be the same as before.
 

Ken at Aero Leather

Well-Known Member
Who knows what's going to happen
Aero's slant on the shutdown is we'd sooner lose business than a single staff member


Whether we had to shut yesterday or not is a moot point, we'd already sent home every staffer with ongoing or previous health issues a couple of weeks ago, and those who can will work from home ...they were mostly doing so already


We have volunteered to make protective clothing for the NHS but so far no response which is a shame considering the shortages, other than that everyone is going to have to wait for an Aero product till it's safe to reopen

The factory is now set up so there's safe distance between any reduced staff level .................if the NHS come back to us or when we reopen "as normal"????

Keep safe and follow advice and don't think advice doesn't mean you
 
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Smithy

Well-Known Member
yeah Skip seems like ScoMo is still stuffing around about this whole thing, drip feeding it little by little (probably worry that if he goes to full lock down in one go, people will go nuts?) and Gladys has unleashed a whole cruise ship full of people on Sydney just the other day, I think we will need to going into voluntary self isolation..........

I was talking to a mate back in Melbourne just last night. He's absolutely livid about how slow ScoMo and the gang have been at doing things. Right at a time when you need decisive and strong leadership, they've dithered around.

They should follow NZ's lead, no pissing about.

Who knows what's going to happen
Aero's slant on the shutdown is we'd sooner lose business than a single staff member


Whether we had to shut yesterday or not is a moot point, we'd already sent home every staffer with ongoing or previous health issues a couple of weeks ago, and those who can will work from home ...they were mostly doing so already


We have volunteered to make protective clothing for the NHS but so far no response which is a shame considering the shortages, other than that everyone is going to have to wait for an Aero product till it's safe to reopen

The factory is now set up so there's safe distance between any reduced staff level .................if the NHS come back to us or when we reopen "as normal"????

Keep safe and follow advice and don't think advice doesn't mean you

Take care Ken.
 

D97x7

Well-Known Member
I'm more than happy to wait for my order to be completed, it's something to look forward to after all this is over.
 

Brettafett

Well-Known Member
I literally just received a reply from AVI LTHR this morning from a few months ago, enquiring about their status. So, they've been quiet and seem to have come up with a new concept...

Quote, "At the moment im working on a “made to order” concept. The customer will order the jacket in their own measurements and the jacket will be made in these measurements. So customized your own measurements. Hoping to offer it for nearly the same price as today."
 

Micawber

Well-Known Member
Who knows what's going to happen
Aero's slant on the shutdown is we'd sooner lose business than a single staff member


Whether we had to shut yesterday or not is a moot point, we'd already sent home every staffer with ongoing or previous health issues a couple of weeks ago, and those who can will work from home ...they were mostly doing so already


We have volunteered to make protective clothing for the NHS but so far no response which is a shame considering the shortages, other than that everyone is going to have to wait for an Aero product till it's safe to reopen

The factory is now set up so there's safe distance between any reduced staff level .................if the NHS come back to us or when we reopen "as normal"????

Keep safe and follow advice and don't think advice doesn't mean you


Best post so far.

Ken, I wish you, your family and staff the very best. Stay safe, stay well.

Steve.
 
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