[DEEP DIVE] LT PARKA

April 5, 2023

Welcome back to "DEEP DIVE," where we look into the inspiration behind some of our favorite Engineered Garments pieces. In this installation, we are featuring the "LT Parka," a light spring jacket.

The production office is the command headquarters for designer Daiki Suzki's unique company. Located in Long Island City, Queens, it contains the typical ingredients of a brand HQ - a handful of desks, a patternmaker's table, and samples galore. But deep within lies a treasure trove of vintage jeans, anoraks, sportcoats, and cargo pants - Daiki Suzuki's archive. Constantly expanding, this inspiration vault houses the blueprints for many of the brand's best-known products.

Nestled in this vast array is a vintage military snow over parka. Made from lightweight cotton whose once pure white has faded over the years, the garment lacks any identifiable tags. Designed for use in Arctic conditions, the garment's oversized proportions allowed the wearer to layer it above a bulky uniform and blend into the snow. The construction is straightforward, featuring a hood and three sets of string closures along the front opening. The string fasteners permitted soldiers to keep their gloves on when putting them on.

Though it may seem unassuming, the archive snow parka inspires a slew of key Engineered Garments touches, including the string closure on the FW22 Fishing Vest. It also provides the blueprint for the Engineered Garments LT Parka.

The LT Parka is an Engineered Garments regular, appearing in various collections over the years. LT stands for "light," and it lives up to its name, with no lining and minimal structure. Like the military-style Snow Parka, it has punched-out proportions and a unique string-closure system on the front. However, unlike its purely utilitarian counterpart, it features many valuable details like the front flap pockets and button closure. Daiki also included reinforcement stitching on the item's yoke for an Engineered Garments signature touch.

Despite its military roots, Daiki imbues the LT Parka with a folk feeling for the Spring Summer 2023 collection. By crafting it in various fabrics, it seamlessly blends into the "folk wear" concept of the season. This combination of function and design allows for wear as a shirt, a jacket, or an in-between layer, and its light weight makes it easily packable.