Reese Cooper

Since its inception in 2018, Reese Cooper has provided a fresh take on fashion with collections that combine high fashion, utility, outdoorsmanship, and classic Americana. Cooper blends the craftsmanship of high fashion with the function and materials of outdoor clothing in biannual collections. Recent collaborations with Levis, Thierry Lasry, and Juliet Johnstone and shows at New York and Paris fashion week have brought attention to Reese Cooper and his innovative design sense. 

Born in Jacksonville in 1998, moving to Atlanta months later, and finally to London at age 11, Cooper moved around a lot as a kid. While in London, he started to get into design. He recalled in an interview with Hero “I got on Tumblr pretty young and that was a pivotal moment for me. I remember seeing a BAPE jacket on Tumblr and was like, “What the hell is that?” I had never seen anything that cool. I found out there was a BAPE store in London and went. What interested me as much as seeing how much I liked this item of clothing, was going there and being just as interested in why the thing cost a thousand dollars. I was infatuated with the idea that you can make really valuable things.”. From there, Cooper started designing his own clothing and eventually moved to Los Angeles at the 17 with the help of longtime friend and collaborator Charlie Gianetti.

Cooper's inspiration largely comes from the places he has lived in. Moves from Florida to London at 11 and from London to LA at 17 gave Cooper three distinct cultural experiences to bring into his designs. London’s earth tone pallet and California’s outdoor-focused culture gave way to two of his first collections “Against the Wind” and “Hitchhiking”. These collections highlighted nature in both the pieces as well as the lookbooks.

 More recent collections have drawn on these themes with more of a high fashion element. Cooper's latest collection “Seed and Soil” which premiered at the Jardin des Plantes in Paris brings a sense of utility to each piece. Carabiner-esque clips hang from most jackets while cargo pockets and adjustable straps adorn each pair of pants. The silhouettes and materials of each piece show a distinct improvement from many of his first collections. Seed and Soil is just one step of Coopers transition into the world of high fashion. 

While Cooper himself has shied away from collaborations, two notable collabs over the past years have defined the brand. A collection with the National Parks Service in mid-2021 highlighted Reese Cooper's commitment to sustainability and the outdoors. A series of hoodies and shirts were released in this collection alongside a pledge from Cooper to donate a portion of the brand's proceeds to sustainable causes such as the One Tree Planted foundation. 

The biggest and most well-known collab for Cooper is the Levis x RCI partnership. In this collection with Levis, Cooper wanted to highlight the workwear and sustainable elements of Levis. A reworked type 2 jacket and pairs of duck hunting jeans adorned with his signature clip alongside various tees and hoodies brought this vision to life. This Levis collection alongside recent runway shows has established Reese Cooper as one of the most interesting, value-focused brands in fashion. 

Keep up to date with Reese Cooper @reesecooper on Instagram