MotivMFG is headed by Samuel Wei, founder of Radiance Blue and the pioneer of the heritage market in China; and Daniel Gu, a third-generation tailor and designer. Together, they combine old-world tailoring (from various antique European manuals) with workwear production techniques. Constant research into garment production techniques around the world informs their design, with the goal of recreating, as opposed to just reproducing.

Deadly serious in the production of their own leather garments, the Bertolt jacket uses Motiv's first attempt to create their own custom leather, developed in collaboration with Highland Yak tannery in Shandong, China. Made from the highest quality of Polish horsehide (the vast majority of premium horsehide comes from Poland before being sent to various Japanese, Italian, and American tanneries), the leather is entirely vegetable tanned, with a natural finish that preserves the original grain texture of the leather.

Over time, the rich brown leather will develop a unique patina as a result of exposure to light, moisture, and movement - getting better and better as the leather becomes more complex and weathered. Similarly, the simple metal snaps up the front and at the cuffs will also tarnish with wear, as the internal lining becomes smooth in a few spots over many, many years, making this a jacket that will truly only get better with time, after it has fully broken-in.

The design takes inspiration from 1930s workwear, specifically leather sleeved-vests that were favored among certain manual laborers. The name is from famous playwright Bertolt Brecht, who also wore a leather jacket like this himself. The tailoring isn't immediately obvious, but is nonetheless pretty remarkable, with an anatomical fit, curved sleeves, a subtle stand collar, and two impressive internal pockets. The outside features two welted front pockets and a handsome set of metal snaps up the front and at each cuff.

The body is lined in a surprisingly soft wool fabric, with quilting in the sleeves for extra ease layering. Though the vegetable tanned horsehide is initially quite stiff and rigid, this lining keeps you pleasantly insulated (in more ways than one) from the heft of the outer body. Over time, the leather will break in, relaxing into the shape of the wearer's body and making movement easy.

Fits true to size. Do not wash.

• 100% Horsehide
• Vegetable tanned leather
• Custom leather designed in collaboration with Highland Yak Tannery in Shandong
• Fully lined interior
• Snap front and cuffs
• Curved sleeve tailoring
• Stand collar
• Two welted external pockets
• One internal bucket pocket
• One internal zip pocket
• Vintage fit
• True to size
• Comes with custom metal hanger
• Do not wash or tumble dry
• Custom woven labels
• Produced by MotivMFG in Beijing