WHAT’S THE STORY
The active lifestyle look of 8Js combines details directly from the racetrack with functional, high-quality qualities. Pictured: Sacha Prost, co-founder of the brand.
8JS
“IT’S ABOUT PASSION FOR RACING” Sacha Prost, son of four-time Formula 1 world champion Alain Prost, launched the 8Js brand together with his brother Nicolas and his sister-in-law Delphine. The athletic menswear collection is inspired by the golden era of Formula 1 and its courageous drivers. Text: Stefanie Buchacher. Photos: 8Js
How did 8Js come to be? Sacha Prost, co-founder of 8Js: The idea dates back to 2013. We wanted to create a brand for all F1 and car enthusiasts. Finding a name took a while. We were watching a documentary about the old days of F1 and its drivers. They were called John, Jo, Jackie, John, and Jodi. There were more names that began with “J”. 8Js is a tribute to drivers who embody what we define as courage and values. The name enables us to anchor the brand in a mythical era. It is not about fashion, but about passion for racing. How do you describe the style of 8Js? Our active lifestyle look combines details straight from the racetrack, to create garments that are truly functional and pioneer-
ing. The most iconic design is our “Racing Stripe”, first introduced by Jim Clark in 1965, which adorned all racing suits in the 1970s. This elegance is the foundation of the 8Js style. What distinguishes the collections? We develop two main collections for spring/ summer and autumn/winter with drop-ins in March, August, and November. We offer about 150 styles per year, ranging from shirts and jackets to sneakers. Prices range from 70 to 90 Euros for shirts, from 390 to 1,500 Euros for jackets, and from 290 to 380 Euros for sneakers. We are a high-end brand. These prices are justified by our rigorous production process to ensure quality. What do you pay attention to during production? Our suppliers are the backbone of our collections. Our priorities right from the start have been quality and ethics. We are happy to affirm that 100 percent of our production has passed a due diligence of compliance with fair trade, modern slavery acts, and other protocols. We check everything personally to ensure our products are “clean”. Sustainabili-
ty is our next challenge. We are not 100 percent sustainable yet and it will take a while to get there. We are, however, making a real effort to be as green as our industry allows. Our winter blazers, for example, are made of Polartec fabrics. They require considerably less water in production than any down jacket or wool garment. We are also looking into a vegan alternative to leather. What else is planned? We have a major collaboration with Formula 1 coming up, our biggest one yet. It is also somewhat emotional for us, because we are, in a way, children of the sport. What does Formula 1 mean to you personally? I think Formula 1 is a part of me, even though I did not go down the path of becoming a professional driver. I grew up hearing the stories about by dad, Ayrton, and all the others. I feel very attached to the sport. It has taught me loads about the core values of sport in general, which are applicable in everyday life and in business alike. Respect the competition and look back to better yourself. style in progress
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