Mexican Racing and Leather Jackets
J.L. Rocha Collections
Mexican Racing and Leather Jackets
Mexican History
Mexico has a history of adrenaline and passion, with a revolution embedded into our cultural DNA - speed, skill, and competitive honor have always been a part of the Mexican Identity. A true example of this can be seen in the history of Formula 1 Racing in Mexico, a story engrained with passion and tragedy but indicative of the adventurous spirit that lives on in the history of Mexico and influences our brand. We want to share with you the story of this sport in Mexico, as well as the timeless pieces that we have crafted in homage to the athletes and inspirations from this time period.
Gran Premio de Mexico
Vintage 1962 poster
The Mexican Grand Prix
Luxury, Rebellion, and Perseverance
The history of the Mexican Grand Prix begins with international intrigue and burning tragedy. The first Formula 1 race was held in Mexico City at the Magdalena Mixhuca Race Track, named so between 1962-1970. The event was an unsanctioned non-championship event bringing in racers from Britain, France, Italy, and New Zealand. The British Team Lotus went home with a win, sadly this was a bitter-sweet affair due to the death of Ricardo Rodriguez - Mexican F1 Racing star who died in a practice run on the track merely days before.
The track saw multiple championships in the years to follow between 1962 and 1970, generating widespread excitement nationally and internationally by attracting names like Ferrari, BRM, and Lotus. The 1965 Mexico Grand Prix saw history made as American Richi Ginther won first place for Honda, the Japanese company’s first Formula One win. The 1970 Grand Prix ended due to issues of organization, crowd control, and a second family tragedy. Pedro Rodriguez de la Vega: the older brother of Ricardo Rodriguez, and winner of the 1967 South African Grand Prix as well as the 1970 Belgian Grand Prix, died in a tragic accident in West Germany.
This event effectively cancelled the 1971 Mexico Grand Prix - the race would not return for another 15 years.
Historic Photo - Mexico Grand Prix
Captivating moments in Mexican History
Rising Above, Modernizing, and Inspiring
In 1986 the grand prix returned on the same track with a new name: the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez. This race once again attracted international guests, and expanded into a larger scale event. The race began to modernize and diversify, changing its date to mid-October in an effort to evade Mexico’s rainy season. Each year challenges of organization and execution hammered the event: issues from a bumpy track due to seismic activity, scheduling conflicts died to weather, and even pollution overflow caused countless problems for racers. This time period yielded significant advancements for the track, however these victories were short lived and at a high cost due to the number of crashes seen through the years.
Between 1993 and 2014, the race was cancelled due to unstable population growth and problems of air quality, however many rumors sparked high levels of interest in seeing the epic competition return. The years would prove challenging in renovating the opportunity to race again, and while hope seemed lost, 2015 saw the announcement from the FIA that the Grand Prix would be returning.
Today - it is estimated that the race generates near $8,400 Million MXN to the local economy, and while in 2019 the Mexico City Mayor announced that it would be the last year of the Grand Prix, on August 8th the announcement was made that the newly renamed Mexico City Grand Prix would remain on the calendar until 2022. [source]
Mexican Racing History
An inspiration for our Leather Goods
Leather Jackets inspired by Mexican Racing
Mixed Media, Leather, and Suede
Early in the creation of J.L. Rocha Collections, we took heavy inspiration from the history of Racing in Mexico. The cultural events of the time rippled throughout the contemporary conception of F1 racing, and the influence of this social strata reached wide into all forms on industry. Fashion and film accessed the ingenuity of fast cars and vehicular exploits, while conveying the passion and affluence of the community. We took inspiration from protective gear from these races, and handcrafted leather jackets that pay homage to the styles of the day.
We’ll be re-capping some of these styles below:
The Leather Front Leisure Racer
Inspired by the traditional Cafe Racer design. This was our first design dedicated to honoring the history of racing in Mexico. We conceived this timeless mixed media jacket by combining the cafe racer design with elegant leisure coat detailing. The woven body and sleeves create an inviting shell that work as a multi-faceted breathable fabric and conform to a wide range of movement.
The front leather shell captivate the rugged beginnings of Mexican Racing and hold true to our handmade quality and techniques. Luxury lambskin faces frontward as this leisure racer makes its way through any journey.
The Claudio Moto Jacket
A truly race worthy jacket, inspired by motorcycle and racing gear throughout Mexican history. This leather jacket shows the detail oriented craftsmanship that our artisans put into each design. Hand cut leather detailing is aesthetically elevated by a modern orange stitching. We designed this jacket furnished with shoulder and bicep accents indicative of historic racing gear. Racers would use extra padding on their top sections to help brace for impact or shield from dust and debris during traditional races.
We developed a masculine rectangular piping to replace the ripple piping of traditional shoulder and arm guards, making this jacket a modern development for lovers of Luxury Leather Goods as well as racing inspired designs.
The Driving Shoe - Multiple Colors - Sold Out
Available in our signature orange as well as green, yellow, and red, this driving shoe was another design from our original collection - with only a few pieces left to savor. While this design is evocative of the 1963 Italian company “Car Shoe” - we wanted to honor the timeless history of auto-enthusiasm found in Mexico not only in the same time period but universally.
This moccasin was crafted for traction, comfort, and luxurious travel by vehicle. We crafted unique rectangular striated pebbles for additional traction on the sole and back heel of the loafer. These design elevations make for ease of use and removal, so you can kick your feet up when you reach your destination. Our driving shoe design not only displays a tribute to Italian design, but also to the driving culture of Mexico and Mexico City, during the Grand Prix and F1 Racings initiation.
As seen in 2014 Fashion Week San Diego
Closing Notes:
We find inspiration from the history of Mexico - but beyond that we are impassioned by the ancestry that paved the way for innovation with their hard work and sacrifices. Our goal has always been to provide visibility to aspects of Mexican history, culture, and craftsmanship that represent our relationship and aspirations for a beautiful country that we hearken back to. We encourage you to experience the beauty and culture of Mexico; as well as chasing your passions with the same history making innovation as the racers from the past. Our appreciation is extended to you, our artisans, and our history - as we reflect on the beautiful inspirations, and paradigm shifting individuals that move us. Share your thoughts on this subject, as well as other questions about Mexican history you’d like us to answer in the comments online or on social media. Like, share, and subscribe to our newsletter if you’d like to continue to learn more and support our mission.
Thank you.