When fashion considers its spiritual homes, it normally looks to London, Milan, Paris and New York. When Jeff Baptie considers his, he looks to Bogotá, Jerusalem, Freetown and Brazzaville. “They’re all places in which you can imagine my products being very useful,” says the chief financial officer of Fortier & Co, which launched in California last year.

At first it is hard to see why: a Burberry-style mac, a body warmer, a simple T-shirt that would look chic under a suit jacket are all among the classic styles that Fortier offers its very particular customers. So far, so typically men’s wear. Except for one thing: each has been retro-fitted and reinforced with an anti-ballistic fabric.