That’s right… unicorn leather. The new Oi Polloi Clarks Wallabees use what is known as “unicorn leather” – “the name given to elk hides by the specialist tannery tasked with producing the raw materials.” Elk and deer hides are super supple and these Clarks will be no exception. Choose from two colorways – dijon and wasabi – both of which may be some of best we have seen in 2012 so far. The green hue (wasabi) elk leather on the Wallabee is impressive.

Available in limited numbers from Oi Polloi. #need

More looks in our gallery…

Manchester and Copenhagen come together for a cold/wet weather jackets that is sure to get your wallets warm. Oi Polloi and Norse Projects deliver these Kaare smock jackets. “Inspired by the kind of outdoor garb Scandinvians have been wearing for years, it could just as easily be from 1961 and 2011. It has a real timeless quality which says a lot about the simple design.” The lined smock jackets come in olive, burnt orange, and navy.

More looks after the click.

It’s been a long, long, long, long wait but here’s Oi Polloi’s in house brand, Cottonopolis. Details are still thin on the ground but we do know that the range will have Italian knitwear, english made leather belts and a Parka made near their new store (the Thomas St residence).

Take a leap to see co-founder of Oi Polloi (and designer of the range) Nigel Lawson overseeing the parka in production.

This walking cousin of the Desert Boot gives the moc an interesting and clean re-look. The Desert Rain features a suede upper and a crepe sole and  features almost nothing extraordinary outside of the shape of the silhouette. Oi Polloi has them.

More looks after the click.

Two Mancunian institutions, two jackets, one goal.

Henry Lloyd, known for sailing equipment, have reproduced two 1960s sailing coats – the Viking and the Consort RWR – in limited numbers for retailer Oi Polloi. These teaser shots are by Antony Crook and also serve as teaser for the upcoming issue of Rig Out.

More jackets by Henry Lloyd for Oi Polloi after the jump.

Danish brand Norse Projects and Manchester’s Oi Polloi have combined forces to produce a rather nice parka.

Steve Sanderson, owner of Oi Polloi, says of the parka, “For me, it’s all about rambling, walking and camping in mid to late seventies, it’s the kind of jacket the old guys would be wearing. At the time we thought they looked pretty cool. The jacket we found and chose to use for inspiration is one my favourite outerwear pieces. It was in part designed by a legendary British mountaineer Chris Bonington… we love that it’s cotton, just using 2 layers. A superb simple design. Also, the hoods a great shape and the length a little longer than most jackets – but not so long as to make it a fully fledged mod parka.”

Details, which will also provide all the requisite construction details, after the jump.

Here’s some great visuals that’ll compliment your aesthetic this morning. Oi Polloi recently did a couple of faux-ads, using Rig Out photographer Antony Crook and some faces that the menswear obsessed (i.e you) should recognise. Keep an eye out for Oliver Spencer and Angelo from Engineered Garments.

Take a leap to see the rest of the campaign.

Have an unsatisfied varsity jacket fetish?

Heritage Research has an answer. Stripped to base essentials – wool body, leather sleeves and leather trimmed slash pockets – the snap button jacket ticks the key stylistic boxes. Two versions have been prepared, one with gray body and cream leather complete with gold quilted liner. The other is a full navy jacket.

Made in the US of A. Exclusive to Oi Polloi.

Full images of the Heritage Research for Oi Polloi Varsity Jackets after the jump.

While there’s a been a major boon in online retailers in the last couple of years, Oi Polloi are known for being one of the first (and best) to do it. We recently caught up with co-founder Steve Sanderson to find out about how Oi Polloi’s origins, their own label and their magazine, The Rig Out (which the interviewer Glen Kitson worked on).

G- I know working with you on the Rig Out we try to keep it simple, to be uncontrived. It’s almost trying to sell fashion to blokes who wouldn’t admit to being interested in style or fashion?

SS- I’d rather try and make things look real, than looking at some model staring off into the distance for his long lost love…. That stuff is nonsense. We’d love to develop what the Rig Out is; there are loads that could be done with it. It’s a nice way of doing different types of projects, we can work on projects with brands and do nice little stories and put our stamp on things. Rather than doing it all though the Internet, its almost as a reaction from all the blog type sites, its not against them but things are nice in print. People like it because its real, that why people still prefer to buy vinyl or CD’s as opposed to downloading music.
We like paraphernalia, its real. Its tangible.

Read the full feature here.

Modeled after Swedish Army Parkas of the 1950s and 60s, the Nigel Cabourn Swedish Parka is made of a 50/50 cotton and nylon blend. Details include envelope pockets and Corozo nut buttons. Get it from those nice Mancunian blokes at Oi Polloi.

Full look after the jump.