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Few jackets carry the same instant edge as an AllSaints biker. Born out of 1990s East London and now celebrating more than three decades in business, this British fashion house has built a global reputation on leather, attitude, and a refusal to follow trends quietly. Here’s a full breakdown of AllSaints’s history, what it offers in the US today, and whether it’s still worth the investment.
What Is AllSaints?
AllSaints is a British fashion retailer founded in 1994 by designer couple Stuart Trevor and Kait Bolongaro, headquartered in East London. Trevor originally wanted to call the label “The Saint,” a nod to his own initials, before the name evolved into AllSaints. The brand started purely as a wholesale menswear business, selling exclusively to high-end retailers like Harvey Nichols and Harrods, before showing its first menswear collection at a Paris fashion show in February 1995 and opening its first standalone store on Carnaby Street’s Foubert’s Place in 1997. The first womenswear collection followed in 1998, designed by Bolongaro and inspired by a boyish, clean-cut “boyfriend wardrobe” aesthetic that included washed leather rider jackets.
Ownership of AllSaints has shifted several times since its founding. Between 2004 and 2005, financier Kevin Stanford, co-founder of Karen Millen, bought out most of the original partners aside from Trevor, taking a majority stake, and in 2006 AllSaints sold a 35% stake to Icelandic investment firm Baugur Group. Today, the company is majority owned by Lion Capital LLP, which holds roughly 85%, and is led by CEO Peter Wood. AllSaints arrived in the US market in 2009 and has continued expanding since, now operating around 250 stores across more than 25 countries, including franchise partnerships, and reaching customers in over 150 countries through its digital presence. In 2024, the brand marked its 30th anniversary.
What Makes AllSaints Different?
- Genuine leather jacket heritage — AllSaints built its reputation specifically on cult leather jackets, and the category remains central to the brand’s identity more than three decades later
- Design and production under one roof — the company designs its collections from its own London atelier and oversees the design of its digital and physical stores in-house, giving it tighter creative control than many competitors
- An “attitude over trend” philosophy — the brand has consistently positioned itself around individuality and making your own rules rather than chasing seasonal trends, a message reflected in its long-running creative direction
- Membership in the Leather Working Group — AllSaints is a member of this not-for-profit organization focused on more responsible leather sourcing, relevant given how central leather goods are to the brand
- A formal sustainability strategy — launched in 2021 under the name “A Conscious Commitment,” reflecting the company’s stated effort to operate more responsibly as it has grown
What Does AllSaints Sell?
Leather Jackets
The brand’s signature and most recognized category, including biker-style jackets crafted with distinctive shapes, finishes, and hardware, each piece designed to be worn year-round rather than as a seasonal statement only.
Footwear
Signature biker boots and other footwear designed to complement the brand’s edgier aesthetic, a key part of the overall AllSaints look.
Womenswear
Asymmetric dresses, knitwear, and ready-to-wear pieces designed from the London atelier, carrying the same boyish, clean-cut sensibility established with the brand’s first womenswear collection in 1998.
Menswear
Shirts, denim, knitwear, and outerwear reflecting the brand’s East London roots and its original wholesale menswear business.
Accessories & Bags
Leather bags and accessories extending the brand’s signature leather craftsmanship beyond jackets alone.
Fragrance
A fragrance line rounding out the AllSaints lifestyle offering beyond apparel and accessories.
Is AllSaints Good Quality?
AllSaints has built more than three decades of credibility specifically around leather craftsmanship, with each jacket designed to have its own distinct shape and attention to detail rather than following a single generic template. The brand’s membership in the Leather Working Group reflects a formal commitment to more responsible sourcing standards for its core leather goods category, which matters given how central leather is to the AllSaints identity.
As a company employing more than 2,000 people globally and continuing to operate its own design atelier and in-house store design team, AllSaints has the institutional structure to maintain consistent quality across its growing collections. Because the brand’s assortment spans everything from leather jackets to knitwear and fragrance, quality naturally varies somewhat by category, with the leather outerwear generally receiving the most consistent praise as the brand’s core strength.
AllSaints’s 30-Year Evolution
Reaching a 30th anniversary in 2024 gave AllSaints a notable moment to revisit its own history and reintroduce some of its most successful past designs with a more contemporary finish. According to the company’s own retrospective, pieces like the brand’s bestselling leather shirt were reworked with new hardware and a cleaner, less heavily washed aesthetic, reflecting a broader approach of refining proven successes rather than abandoning them for passing trends. This pattern, revisiting and refining rather than constantly reinventing, has been part of how AllSaints has stayed relevant across three decades of shifting fashion cycles.
How Does AllSaints Compare to Other Leather-Focused Fashion Brands?
| Feature | AllSaints | Typical Contemporary Fashion Brand |
|---|---|---|
| Founded | 1994, East London | Varies |
| Signature category | Leather jackets and biker boots | Varies |
| US presence | Since 2009, part of 250+ global stores | Varies |
| Ownership | Majority owned by Lion Capital LLP | Varies |
| Design approach | In-house London atelier | Varies, often outsourced |
| Sustainability initiative | “A Conscious Commitment” (2021), Leather Working Group member | Varies |
Tips for Buying AllSaints
- Start with a core leather jacket if you want the piece most representative of the brand’s founding identity
- Check the fit guide for each style, since AllSaints offers a range of jacket cuts from fitted biker styles to more relaxed silhouettes
- Explore reworked classics, since the brand has periodically revisited past bestsellers with updated hardware and finishes
- Look at the full leather accessories range if you want to extend the brand’s signature craftsmanship beyond outerwear
- Watch for seasonal sales, since AllSaints runs regular promotional periods across its collections
Final Verdict: Is AllSaints Still Worth It?
More than three decades after launching from an East London studio, AllSaints remains one of the most recognizable names in leather-driven contemporary fashion, having built genuine longevity by staying true to its core identity rather than chasing every passing trend. With an in-house design atelier, a formal sustainability strategy, and a steady US presence since 2009, the brand continues to deliver on the edgy, individualistic style it was founded on. For anyone looking for a genuinely well-made leather jacket or boots with real attitude, AllSaints remains well worth the investment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who founded AllSaints? AllSaints was founded in 1994 by designer couple Stuart Trevor and Kait Bolongaro in East London, starting as a wholesale menswear business.
Who owns AllSaints now? AllSaints is majority owned by Lion Capital LLP, which holds roughly 85% of the company, and is led by CEO Peter Wood.
When did AllSaints arrive in the US? AllSaints expanded into the US market in 2009 and has continued growing its presence there since.
What is AllSaints best known for? AllSaints is best known for its leather jackets, particularly its biker-style designs, along with its signature boots and edgy, individualistic aesthetic.
Is AllSaints a sustainable brand? AllSaints launched a formal sustainability strategy called “A Conscious Commitment” in 2021 and is a member of the Leather Working Group, which focuses on more responsible leather sourcing.
How many AllSaints stores are there? AllSaints operates around 250 stores globally, including franchise partnerships, reaching customers in more than 150 countries through its digital presence.
