Why Jim Mattis Is Posing in a $1,322 Kangaroo-Leather Jacket

• An image of former Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis modeling in a photograph while wearing a kangaroo-leather jacket circulated online, prompting questions as to why the retired Marine Corps general appeared to be promoting a clothing brand.
• Kill Kapture's founder, Mark Wales, a former Australian soldier from the Special Air Service Regiment, told Insider he first met Mattis while attending the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
• After meeting Mattis in 2015, Wales later invited him to an all-veteran photo shoot in New York City.
• Wales reached out to Mattis to ask whether he could use the photo for marketing purposes, which the retired general responded with: "Yeah, you can use it for whatever you want. You can put in on a billboard in Russia if you want."
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

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An image of Jim Mattis modeling in a photograph while wearing a kangaroo-leather jacket circulated online, prompting questions as to why the former US defense secretary appeared to be promoting a clothing brand.

The black jacket, handmade in New York City, was created by the company Kill Kapture, a "tough luxury" clothing brand "designed by special operators." It takes roughly 10 to 12 weeks to manufacture the $1,322 jacket, which is also trackable with your phone if you lose it.

Kill Kapture's founder, Mark Wales, who is also a former Australian soldier from the Special Air Service Regiment, first met Mattis when he attended the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Wales' classmate served with Mattis in Iraq and invited the retired general to speak to a veterans group at the business school.

"I thought he was just the nicest guy," Wales told Insider. "And he had such a good take on how veterans can contribute to the broader economy."

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According to Wales, Mattis advised the student veterans that "the best contribution to make for your country and to our security is to build strong businesses and develop the economy."

"Because I was Australian, I knew he was kind of US royalty, but I had no idea just how much of a figure he'd been in military history," Wales said.

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"The way he talked about combat and doing the right thing — I think he understood what it meant to use force for your country," Wales added. "It wasn't just about war — it was actually about something much greater and promoting the values that we have as a free country. I think he understood warfare on a much different level than myself and other military people do."

In 2015, Wales was in New York City for an hour-and-a-half photo shoot when he reached out to Mattis and asked whether he wanted to make an appearance.

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Mattis accepted the invitation and also had beers while sharing stories. "What's so good about him is that he supports veterans in transition when they've left the military and try to contribute to the economy," Wales said.

Wales asked whether Mattis could be photographed, and he said the general accepted. All of the models used in the photo shoot were also military veterans.

He later reached out to Mattis to ask whether he could use the photo for marketing purposes, to which he said the retired general responded: "Yeah, you can use it for whatever you want. You can put in on a billboard in Russia if you want."

"I think he took a risk in getting that photo and helping us out, so I've always appreciated that," Wales said.

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Mattis was two years into his retirement after leaving the helm of US Central Command. He was selected to become President Donald Trump's defense secretary in 2016 and was later confirmed by the Senate in a 98-1 vote.

Mattis resigned in 2018 after an apparent disagreement with Trump's foreign policies.

"One core belief I have always held is that our strength as a nation is inextricably linked to the strength of our unique and comprehensive system of alliances and partnerships," Mattis said in his resignation letter. "While the US remains the indispensable nation in the free world, we cannot protect our interests or serve that role effectively without maintaining strong alliances and showing respect to those allies."

Wales said he sent Mattis a complimentary jacket after he resigned.

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