Top 10 cult leather icons | Dazed

MARLON BRANDO IN THE WILD ONE (1953)

When this jacket hit the big screen in 1953 cult classic The Wild One worn by hot young actor Marlon Brando, there was a subsequent spike in its popularity among teenagers in the burgeoning “hoodlum” demographic. In 1955, it was catapulted to the height of its popularity when a love for speed ended the life of the quintessential hoodlum at the time – James Dean – who was hardly ever seen without one. This classic black biker style has spawned a thousand imitations over the years and is often referred to simply as the ‘Brando’. “More than most parts I’ve played in the movies or onstage, I related to Johnny,” Marlon Brando has said of his character, “There’s a line in the picture where he snarls, ‘Nobody tells me what to do.’ That’s exactly how I’ve felt all my life.”

MARIANNE FAITHFULL IN THE GIRL ON A MOTORCYCLE (1968)

Enjoy the feeling of leather on naked skin? Zip all the way up with 1968 British-French film The Girl on a Motorcycle (also known as Naked Under Leather), which features Marianne Faithfull riding a motorcycle through Europe wearing nothing but a leather catsuit, redefining the leather jacket worn by motorcyclists into a full bodysuit. This sexy, iconic look’s lasting influence can be seen today in the many incarnations of Catwoman, the patent leather-clad Trinity in The Matrix (1999) and Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow in The Avengers (2012).

DAFT PUNK IN ELECTROMA (2006)

In their self-directed 2006 film Electroma, Daft Punk prove that a robot duo can outdo humans in everything, including wearing top-to-toe leather. Thinking of this movie provokes an aural vision of Daft Punk speeding through a desolate desert landscape, silent save for the sound of two pairs of leather trousers settling into the 1987 Ferrari 412’s seats. Daft Punk may don leather jackets to remind humans of the subversive second half of their band name, but the real triumph here is how they so effortlessly offset the whole dance-happy automaton thing with their rebel uniform.

CHARLOTTE RAMPLING IN THE NIGHT PORTER (1974)

The manner in which leather is presented in Lilliana Cavani’s 1974 sadomasochistic romance filmThe Night Porter is distinctly erotic. This striking image of androgynous, bare-breasted Charlotte Rampling wearing little more than nearly shoulder-length leather gloves, suspenders, men’s trousers and an SS military cap exudes an overt sexuality and disturbing quality that has continued to shock, inspire and burn itself into leather iconography.

JOAN JETT

MEL GIBSON IN MAD MAX 2: THE ROAD WARRIOR (1981)

Enter a future where post-apocalyptic police don single-armed leather motorcycle jackets, knee-high biker boots and cut-off leather gauntlets and hunt ruthless motorcycle gangs across the barren wasteland. The high octane, ultra-violent revenge tale features a dressed-to-kill Mel Gibson as “Mad Max” Rockatansky, pursuing leathery punks down the highway and performing death defying car stunts with his armoured car The Interceptor, all while wearing tight leather trousers. Fans of the franchise are waiting in white-knuckled anticipation for Mad Max: Fury Roadfeaturing (hopefully, a completely leather-clad) Tom Hardy in May 2015.

MAVERICK IN TOP GUN (1986)

Tom Cruise’s leather flight jacket in Top Gun (1986) is one of the most coveted and replicated leather pieces from Hollywood film. Costume trivia tells us that Lieutenant Pete “Maverick” Mitchell iconic fitted brown bomber, covered in a tidy collection of military badges and ranks – his motorcycle riding, off-duty look – actually once belonged to Maverick’s father, an infamous decorated pilot. Other military and leather styles saturate the movie – from flight suits and patches to aviator sunglasses and bomber jackets – but truthfully, they can all ride this jacket’s tail, any time.

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