Chromeo's Dave 1 Shares His Leather Jacket Collection

Years in the limelight with Canadian electro-funk band Chromeo have shown us that frontman Dave 1 has impeccable style. Known for his signature go-to of a leather jacket and skinny jeans ensemble, Dave 1, born David Macklovitch in Montreal (and the brother of A-Trak, who also loves leather jackets), recently sat down with Complex in his home in Williamsburg to share his vast leather outerwear collection that he’s acquired throughout his lifetime. Dave 1 also drops some knowledge on finding the right leather jacket, from purchasing high-end Saint Laurent pieces to digging for vintage German motorcycle keepsakes. Read excerpts from the interview below, and you can read the full piece here.

What’s the one leather jacket every guy should own?
Well, your basic go-to would be like a biker jacket, or a Perfecto. You want to go with a style as classic as possible, something that looks like a Schott. What’s cool about leather jackets is that they actually get doper as they age. The leather releases these oils and you get this sheen and this creasing. You want to have a purchase that’s going to last for a long time, so if you’re just gonna buy one, I would say just stay away from getting a fashion-y one and just opt for a super classic option—something that looks as authentic as possible.

You wear leather jackets all year-round, even in 80°F weather?
I do wear them in 80° weather, but I expect to get clowned and I clown myself when I do it. The whole thing about all that too is like, yes, a leather jacket makes you look badass and makes you look like you’re auditioning for a part in The Ramones musical on Broadway or something, but you also have to have a degree of humor about everything. It’s all fun.

It’s your uniform.
With Chromeo, our image is so strong. The visual thing we give off is so strong and we have to go extra. We have to. If you’re a regular dude reading this: You have one leather jacket, maybe two, and you’re set. You’re good—and not only that, it’s like a thousand dollar investment. But A) it’s year-round and B) it’s gonna last for 5, 6, years or maybe more. You’re going to end up giving your jacket to your dad or something. It lasts forever.

Each year it seems that there are certain design cues that brands incorporate into their leather jackets like ribbed shoulders, two-toned sleeves, and other details.
Let me put you onto something: They all jack their shit from this weird German motorcycle jacket company called Hein Gericke—and even since his Dior days, Hedi [Slimane]’s been taking cues from them. The cuts are horrible because they’re super boxy, but the designs are insane. It’s like some German motocross shit, and the detailing is insane. Everything about it is phenomenal, but the cut’s terrible. My take on like the leather thing is: the more detail, the better. Overdo it with the zippers. The reference is motocross, where you need a thousand pockets and all this padding in case you fall. The other thing that’s amazing about leather jackets and how it sort of fits in culturally to everything we like is that it’s all about this reappropriation of super practical, purpose-driven attire.

You’ve customized one of your jackets with a bunch of pins.
It’s stuff that we used to do growing up. I feel like there is a pins zeitgeist, right? My favorite Perfecto is one that I wear basically everyday that I’ve had for like four years. I was on tour in Detroit, and I happened to be sitting on the toilet for a long time. I was on eBay on my phone and was just like, ‘Let me buy every cool pin that I can find.’ And I just put it all on there and Krazy Glued them so they don’t fall off, and it’s cool. It makes a lot of friends on the airplane. Again, I think it’s that sense of humor. It’s so important ‘cause otherwise, it’s what prevents all of us from becoming fashion victims—and that’s crucial. When I see a kid like Ian Connor wearing Skechers, it’s so important. I mean, my boy P is on the same wave. He’s full on.

Do you have to hunt for a piece like that one [Christopher Bailey for Burberry jacket from 2011]?
I didn’t have to hunt. I’m not an eBay head. I wish I was, because I would be on some other shit. It’s funny because I hunt for like furniture that I could flaunt, you know? This chair [points to chair], I imported that from Brazil. No one has this. With clothing, I’ve got this thing where I’ll place special orders. I get one and hopefully, I don’t run into Swizz Beatz wearing one. No disrespect to him! I never really had to go crazy hunting for stuff. I’ve got shops that’ll hold stuff for me and make sure I get it first, and then I’ll make sure I wear it to Coachella. I’ll get some stuff like a week before everyone else—basic perks of being a musician.

For sure. It doesn’t hurt to be out there.
Yeah, but the clever kids on a budget—they always outdo everybody. If you just have that drive in you, you make do. I like to stay humble, because there’s always a kid on the L train that you see and you’re just like: “Nice job.”