Look closely at the bomber jackets from east-London retail space Jake’s and you might spot a faded patch or a pulled thread – remnants of the past lives they lived as horse rugs. Some might even be stamped with a postcode, as they were previously worn by rogue horses that could bolt at any moment, and therefore require a return address. However, designer Jake Burt confirms that you won’t find any horse hair – nor a stable aroma.

“I’ve become an expert in the trade of old horse blankets,” explains Burt, who is one-half of London label Stefan Cooke, the namesake of the Cambridge Heath shop, and the brains behind these jackets. “It’s a visual language I’ve become obsessed with,” he says, adding, “We’re all so keen on esoteric things”.

Jake’s first horse blanket jackets, from 2024

Courtesy of Jake’s

Courtesy of Jake’s

Courtesy of Jake’s

Courtesy of Jake’s

This niche side-hustle begun several years ago, when he was inspired to buy a box of horse blankets on eBay after he saw two horses sporting them in Chorleywood. “The fabrics and colours were amazing,” he asserts of his unlikely muses, whose photo kept reappearing on mood boards in the studio while the blanket box sat in the corner. “We would look at them every now and again and wouldn’t know what to do with them.” He even pondered keeping them as “objects”, folded up amidst the eclectic and unusual treasures that line the store.

Urged to create stock to sell at a Saturday opening of Jake’s in December 2024 – soon after the shop welcomed customers for the first time – Burt and the team unearthed the pile and cut them into the pattern of an MA1 bomber, purposefully not disrupting the original form and patina. To offset the perfectly-aged finish and nuances of each rug, they added striped hoods, repurposed from old rugby jerseys that he and Stefan had collected over the years.

“It was a bit of a fluke really,” he says. The first batch of four sold out in 10 minutes. More have followed since, made for the London outpost and pop-ups in Osaka, Tokyo and Seoul. “The big surprise has been how many people from abroad make coming to Jake’s part of their trip,” he reveals. “That’s something I’m really proud of.”

The formula for the jacket has remained the same – so, too, the lo-fi promotion strategy. The weekly limited runs are handled by a factory in North London, and Jake’s has expanded into shearling and nappa leather collars, and a range of sizes. Burt teases each drop as still-life carousels on his Instagram ahead of his Saturday openings, showing the jackets in their full, weathered glory. Their sleeves are propped in a way that gives them an offbeat spirit, like sculptural collages of complementary-yet-clashing colours, patterns and textures.

Fabric sourcing has become a streamlined process, too. After a bad run of pungent rugs found on eBay and bans from all dry cleaners within a mile radius, Burt now buys exclusively from a woman based in Wales whose blankets are perfection (they arrive mended, reproofed and cleaned). They’re yet to meet, but they regularly chat over WhatsApp.

When we speak, he’s relishing after his first weekend with queues out the door. He’s seen the jackets in the wild. Jake’s remains a hidden gem, but people are catching on. Stop by this Saturday and you’ll have the chance to buy from the largest drop thus far, with each jacket priced at £695, featuring both women’s and men’s sizes.

Stefan Cooke & Jake’s is open 11am-6pm every Saturday at 63 Vyner Street, London, E2 9DQ.