The William Gibson Story
Early in 2003, best-selling novelist William Gibson released a groundbreaking new book, PATTERN RECOGNITION. This absorbing and masterfully crafted novel is set in the period immediately following “9-11”, featuring a high-tech., super-hip, cyber-chic, anti-fashion sophisticate, Cayce Pollard, as the heroine. Brilliantly woven within the many pages of cutting-edge prose Mr. Gibson crafted is the one object more valued by Cayce Pollard than any other she owns – the Black Buzz Rickson’s MA-1 Flying Jacket.
William Gibson is an author of superior talent and exceptionally good taste. Vintage clothing represents an area of personal interest to him, which includes MA-1 jackets. He is a great admirer of the goods produced by Buzz Rickson’s, which is what provided the inspiration for the fictionalized Buzz Rickson’s Black MA-1 Jacket worn by his central character. Mysteriously, in the course of writing his novel, Mr. Gibson forgot that no MA-1s were ever produced for the USAF in black; unbeknownst to Mr. Gibson, one of those strange twists of fate was then being cooked and a new legend was about to emerge.
The marketing team at Buzz Rickson’s was looking for a very unique and special item to acknowledge their tenth anniversary in 2004. Sometime in 2002, just as William Gibson was simultaneously giving life to the Buzz Rickson’s Black MA-1, Buzz Rickson was giving life to their tenth anniversary jacket - a special limited-edition MA-1 fabricated in jet black. With the highly successful release of PATTERN RECOGNITION in the early days of 2003 there came an unfamiliar swarm of customers here at the offices of Buzz Rickson’s USA agency, all clamoring for non-existent Buzz Rickson’s Black MA-1s! After contacting our friends in Japan and putting feelers out to Mr. Gibson, the irony crystallized.
Built with the same attention to detail that made Buzz Rickson a brand some Japanese customers wait well over a year to obtain, and assembled out of authentic, vintage-spec. serendipity, we were able to offer all those dedicated and uniquely anti-fashion fans of PATTERN RECOGINTION the Buzz Rickson’s Black MA-1. The fans asked for this item, and with our own styling suggestions Buzz Rickson’s agreed to create a special MA-1 in black, devoid of any USAF markings other than the Buzz Rickson’s MA-1 spec. label in the lining, just as Cayce Pollard would have had it.
Following the overwhelming success of Buzz Rickson’s “Pattern Recognition” Black MA-1 Jacket, a new collaboration brand was formed between William Gibson and Buzz Rickson’s brand – the “William Gibson Collection.” This collection features various Buzz Rickson products made to their usual highest standards of quality and authenticity, but now with the “William Gibson Collection” co-branded label and produced in classic, stylish jet black. The "William Gibson Collection" is for those who prefer all the styling and detailing of a superior-grade military design in a non-military color, but lacking any military markings. Every article of clothing produced with the “William Gibson” label is personally specified, approved, licensed and endorsed by Mr. Gibson as being the real deal he knows Buzz Rickson’s is famous for and which he so glowingly wrote of in “Pattern Recognition,” but now crafted in a color both he and Cayce Pollard are proud of. The marriage of the Buzz Rickson’s and William Gibson labeling is your personal guarantee of complete product satisfaction in quality, durability and authenticity.
Mr. Gibson’s license proceeds are donated to charities of his choice.