Midway through a Zoom call with Reese Cooper the power in his new studio in Los Angeles goes out. In the frame, he’s frozen holding up a navy plaid anorak that folds into itself, the garment caught somewhere between sartorial tradition and the gorpy streetwear Cooper is known for. It’s a funny place for everything to go haywire because that garment, in many ways, symbolizes everything he’s trying to do with his fall 2022 collection: take a leap forward into more tailored, sophisticated, “adult” clothes without losing the rebellious, outdoorsy heart of his brand.
His POV on fashion started to shift during the pandemic and after two outdoors shows in Los Angeles he was certain fall 2022 would be his return to Paris Fashion Week. Mais non! Even so, he began designing the collection with the polished traditions of Paris in mind. His plaids and houndstooth prints are hand-drawn in his studio with subtle incorporations of the brand’s deer logo hidden in the pleats of pants. Camouflage, a staple of his oeuvre, is so tonal, you might not even realize it’s camo.
For the first time, Cooper is making tailoring—his way. A mossy cropped cargo jacket and wide leg pants with metal clip details are his version of a suit. He test drove it at the CFDA Awards last November, and is hoping his customers will experiment with “the widest leg pants we’ve ever made.”
A 12-hour Instagram live feed has been conceived to convince Cooper’s friends and customers to step outside their comfort zone. In partnership with the platform and Shopify, Cooper streamed his entire lookbook shoot for the world to see. It’s a six-camera set up where “anything can go wrong,” he says with a laugh. Let’s just hope the power doesn’t go out on such a big leap forward.
