Octobre Éditions x Schott NYC: A Bomber That Never Left the Flight Path

Some garments never really leave the conversation. They just wait for the right moment to re-enter it. The Schott NYC CWU bomber is one of those pieces — functional to its core, culturally fluent by accident, and still quietly relevant decades on. For SS26, Octobre Éditions taps into that lineage with a limited-edition reissue that understands when to speak and when to stay silent.

Originally developed in the 1950s for U.S. Air Force pilots, the CWU was built for speed, altitude and movement — nylon shell, ribbed trims, no excess. What began as pure utility slowly filtered into civilian wardrobes, where it became shorthand for a certain kind of assured masculinity. Not trend-led. Just right.

Octobre’s approach doesn’t try to reinvent that history. The silhouette remains sharp and familiar, the proportions modern without being fashion-forward. Where the Parisian label leaves its mark is in the margins: a custom patch, refined finishing, and a discreet signature that feels more like a knowing nod than branding. It’s collaboration as dialogue rather than overhaul.

The fabric stays true to the original — durable nylon — now updated in a recycled version that doesn’t shout about sustainability but still matters. There’s a single navy colourway, lined with Schott’s unmistakable orange, which does most of the talking once the jacket’s off the hanger and in motion.

Arthur Person, Octobre’s director, puts it simply: “The Schott CWU is one of those timeless pieces. Octobre’s role wasn’t to change it — only to bring a fresh perspective and shape a new chapter in its story.” That perspective is restraint. Confidence. Knowing that a good jacket doesn’t need explaining.