OASIS & THE YMC BONEHEAD JACKET: HOW TO MAKE AN ICON

Sage Toda-Nation has a hard job. Creating something from scratch is one thing. He’s already done that. Continuing a legacy that’s been thirty years in the making? That’s his next task. In taking the role of Creative Director at YMC, Sage knowingly undertook a mammoth project. How do you bring something new to a brand that already appeals across generations, already has subcultural authority, already makes great clothes? The way Sage tells it, the answer lies in the archive. The YMC Bonehead Jacket is the blueprint.

Since it was founded in 1995, YMC has been a consistent beat in the soundtrack of British style. As trends came, went, and came again, the brand founded by Fraser Moss and Jimmy Collins stayed true to its core tenets. Quality, fit, function, and a genuine appreciation of what came before it. YMC has always been a collage of influences, from punk to workwear, from Oasis to Happy Mondays; It’s thanks to this ability to translate disparate, deeply British codes that YMC has managed to carve out an unshakeable space for itself at the centre of the scene, immune to trends, respected almost universally.

Most brands with that kind of reliable presence are slow burners. Regular, solid collections with returning products. YMC has all of that, but with Sage’s arrival came a new way of approaching things, and with new eyes came new jackets. Most notably, the YMC Bonehead Jacket. Inspired by a ’90s parka pulled from the archive, the piece takes its name from Oasis’ rhythm guitarist Paul ‘Bonehead’ Arthurs, but it found its identity on the back of Liam Gallagher.

For a British brand, there aren’t many better endorsements than Liam Gallagher wearing your design. Even better if it’s on stage at the record-breaking Oasis Reunion Tour, even better in multiple colours across multiple cities. He’s a man known for his taste in jackets, so this goes well beyond exposure; It’s a seal of approval from the unofficial king of light outerwear. 

So what makes someone who has unlimited reach and budget choose to wear a newly introduced jacket more than once in different colours at their once-in-a-generation reunion tour? 

On the most basic level, because it looks really, really good. Cropped high with a super-boxy silhouette, it cuts a seriously punchy silhouette. Details like raglan shoulders and oversized curved pockets emphasise the airy fit of the jacket but also lead us to the next reason the Bonehead Jacket works so well: References.

Modern style is basically a mutant ball of references. The best brands don’t try to add them all up. Instead, like YMC, they pick the bits that matter to them and build them into something that feels relevant today. Most labels speak about archive inspirations and vintage styles, but it’s rare to see these influences in practice. The Bonehead Jacket does just that. The big pockets are lifted from the hunting jackets that immediately conjure images of British heritage. Raglan shoulders speak to the ease-of-movement baked into vintage sportswear. A peaked hood, toggled hems, and water-repellent finish deal in modern utility without feeling too technical or trend-driven. The result is a jacket that feels refreshingly new yet tethered to familiar, revered aspects of Britain’s style tradition.

The crazy thing? Most items in the YMC collection can be picked apart to this extent and still hold up. Not all of them have been personally picked out by Liam Gallagher, but their stories all stem from deep research and knowledge of subculture, heritage, and how to reshape past references into something relevant. While so many brands look back to an archive with nostalgia, faithfully replicating what has already been successful—we don’t hate it, there’s a time and place for that—Sage and YMC go one step further: This worked, how do we take that and make it exciting again? When the archive becomes what’s next, you’ve found the key to eternal inspiration.