Reese Cooper christened his spring 2022 collection “Fresh Air.” You can interpret it plenty of ways—his return to a plein air runway, a partner to his fall 2022 show about forest fires—but maybe the simplest is that he’s found a new way of working and has made a fresh start. After shifting production to Los Angeles and hiring an in-house sample maker, Cooper was able to create faster and in a more exacting way than ever. His runway on the East Fork Bridge just outside of Azusa, California, was filled with new ideas and a reinvigorated sense of self expression.
Let’s start with the obvious: The show closed with a sage organza dress made of layers of painted flowers. It’s unquestionably the most feminine and formal thing Cooper has ever made, but it’s still rooted in a celebration of nature: When the model walks, said the designer, it looks like flowers rustling in the breeze. The idea came up at dinner with Cooper’s friend and frequent collaborator Juliet Johnstone, who drew the flowers on the piece as well as the yellow floral motif that appeared on scarves and leather bags. The dress itself has a sort of haphazard spirit, definitely not the most refined crystal and organza you’ll come across this summer, but its explosive silhouette is reflective of its make. After a quiet year, a moment of frantic genesis feels like, well, a breath of fresh air.
Other new ideas included an expanded womenswear offering, such as silk camisoles and graded down varsity jackets. A partnership with Levi’s birthed upcycled denim pieces—each order will be one-of-one, made by splicing and dicing Levi’s unsold product. Cooper also teamed up with Merrell, the outdoor shoe brand, on a series of footwear and even got the trail runner Gordy Ainsleigh to appear in the show. Overall, the collection had a freewheeling look, straps and scarves dangling off trousers, flags flapping in the breeze. An optimistic message: We’re going somewhere. Cooper has gotten off on the right foot.
