Footwear brand Vagabond steps into apparel with ‘The Jacket’

Swedish footwear brand Vagabond Shoemakers is branching out into apparel with the launch of a limited-edition jacket.

The women’s leather jacket - aptly named just ‘The Jacket’ - has been developed in the brand’s in-house design studio and handcrafted in Portugal, in a limited quantity, which each item numbered.

The Varberg-based brand describes its first apparel product as being “full of the typical Vagabond DNA - timeless but still with that raw edge and oversized silhouette, made to be worn again and again”.

It said it “was a given” that it would be made using leather, as it is a material the brand has decades of experience with.

The jacket is available from Wednesday on Vagabond’s website and at selected retailers across the world at a price of 600 euros, or 550 pounds.

Marie Nilsson Peterzén, creative director and co-founder of Vagabond, told FashionUnited about making the jump from footwear to apparel.

“Even if we are established within the fashion industry, we have great respect for and know the challenge to move from one niche to another, especially from the supply chain point of view,” she said.

“In this case, we had relations with a good supplier in Portugal and wanted to give it a try.”

When asked if the brand has plans to launch more apparel items, or an entire collection, in the future, Peterzén said: “We are always keen on presenting new ideas, either within our Atelier by Vagabond concept or, as in this case a completely new product.

“Let’s see what comes out of it. So far, we are happy to see that there is a huge interest from the market.”

Vagabond is currently sold in retailers across approximately 45 markets. In the UK, the brand works with around 20 retailers and has 50 points of sale.