Cub Schaefer built his brand in a valley set amongst the snow-capped peaks of the Tetons. A lifelong outdoorsman with a background in survival training, Cub took his technical knowledge of western geography into the world of manufacturing. Born from the western wilderness, his Rocky Mountain Featherbed label delivered an identity to a local community of ski-bums, backpackers, and some twenty years after closing their doors in the 1980s, a group of dedicated vintage collectors in Japan.

The brand spent more than two decades as a sleeping giant before being resurrected by Kinji Teramoto, founder of 35 Summers. Teramoto cut his teeth on the frontlines of the American vintage boom that began in Japan around the time Rocky Mountain’s first chapter came to a close. After establishing himself as one of the world’s most well known vintage collectors, and amassing an archive of rare originals, Kinji would take what seemed to be the next logical step. Utilizing the highest level of materials and production techniques in Japan, Kinji and his team reimagined and rebuilt a number of compelling, then-defunct American vintage labels. In 2005, with a love for the unique, western outerwear produced in Jackson Hole, 35 Summers would incorporate Rocky Mountain Featherbed into their family. 

Under Kinji’s guidance, our collaboration with 35 Summers doubles down on the spirit of the West, revisiting the iconic Rocky Mountain Featherbed Christy Jacket and Vest through our own Californian lens. Working with Collect Mills to supply the fabric, each piece is cut with a cotton/nylon poplin blend that calls back to the 1940s, a time when American made, military grade fabrics reached the pinnacle of their quality. With a matte finish, the poplin blend proved to be more congruent with the natural coastal landscapes we know and love. Along with the application of a slightly smoother, single-piece suede yoke, we decided to update the interior pocket with a brass chain Waldes zipper reminiscent of the sturdy 1940s styles seen in early American workwear. Now available with all of the glory and authenticity of 1960s Jackson Hole, Buck Mason is proud to present our very own, way out western collaboration with Rocky Mountain Featherbed and 35 Summers.