The definition of the word “heritage” is “property that is or may be inherited”. In the context of a fashion show, it seems to make sense that heritage is subjective to the designer or fashion house, often by pulling out favourites from their own company archives.
Clarks, for example, have their desert boot that can now be called heritage – they have enjoyed success of this particular style of chukka boots since 1949. What confuses consumers is when companies patch the word “Heritage” to collections or their brand name simply to embellish a particular image. For example, Forever 21 have a collection named “Heritage 1981”, yet the designs look nothing like they are from that time period. Even more beguiling, Forever 21 wasn’t even founded until 1984 (I guess they decided Heritage 1984 didn’t have the same ring to it). What makes a true heritage collection of piece of clothing is a company’s long-standing commitment to a particular design, often gathering a cult, then mainstream following.
On the other hand, the word “heritage” can also be used to describe a traditional process of manufacturing designs. The Manual Co., whose designs are available in our online shop, has been in action for 30 years coming 2015 and is proud to stick to the tried and tested methods of manufacturing leather goods predominantly by hand. Their products are available here.