Designed by John Dove and Molly White for their Wonder Workshop label in 1969, only 5 pieces of the Cheetah jacket were produced and sold at the Paradise Garage shop at 430 Kings Road (later to become home to Malcolm McLaren and Vivienne Westwood’s shops).

The original jackets were made from cheap leatherette sourced from a warehouse of vintage fabrics in London’s Belsize Park area and fake fur found at Shepherd’s Bush market, this was complemented with John and Molly’s hand printed Cheetah head on the back and a green leopard brocade lining.

Fast forward to 1972, Iggy and the Stooges were in London recording their Raw Power album (in Whitfield Street, one block away from the current Lewis Leathers shop). Iggy visited Lewis Leathers in 2015 and Derek asked him where he bought the Cheetah jacket and he explained that he found it at a 2nd hand shop in Kensington Market, immediately he saw it he said “It’s me, it’s who I am”! and he bought it right away.

Iggy also explained that the band were staying at a flat on the Fulham Road and after recording finished late each night, he liked to walk back to the flat alone, wearing his Cheetah jacket. It takes almost 90 minutes to walk from Whitfield Street to Fulham Rd and one can imagine Iggy singing “I’m a street walking Cheetah…” in his head while he made his way home in the early hours of the morning.

Side and back view.

Inner waistband print.

In 2015 it was decided that a leather version of the jacket should be made using sheep leather and Cheetah print cow hair. To differentiate it from the vinyl version, we use a lining identical to the original green one but on this occasion in golden yellow, the leather version has again proved to be an underground classic.

More info and photos of the jacket http://wonderworkshop.co.uk/iggy-pop.html

Bag logo close up.