TOM @ RUMBLE | 31st May | LA-Long Beach

21st May 2014, 8:29 pm

Before and during the Second World War, what leather clothing there was, was always brown. Suddenly, right about 1950, the black biker’s ‘uniform’ appeared. It is amazing how fast it spread around the world. I have been told that I influenced its birth. –Tom of Finland

In the early part of the 1950s, Tom was fast at work drawing his men in uniform-style gear, combining his uniform fetish with the garb of the tough boys. The defining moment for him was when he saw some stills of Marlon Brando from the film The Wild One. As Tom said, “I immediately felt it, that my men would wear black leather from that point on.” He transposed his brown leather jackets, breeches and caps into black. The “Leatherman” was born.

Tom had a tailor in Helsinki make him a pair of black leather breeches and jackets soon after. Being somewhat of a dandy, he wanted to go somewhere public all geared up; he was known for making appearances at the local motocross. He forwarded his drawings of men in full leather gear to his pals in England and Germany. The effect was contagious–they, too, had gear made–and would send back to Tom photos of themselves all decked out. In turn, Tom was inspired to do more and to keep on elaborating on the gear and improving his ability to render the feel of leather. This was the beginning of what was to become the international Gay Leather scene.
–Tom of Finland: Life and Work of a Gay Hero

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