“FRESH AIR” PFW SS22 RUNWAY SHOW

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The 'Fresh Air' collection remains a landmark moment in Reese Cooper's catalog, widely cited in retrospectives on the post-pandemic outdoor aesthetic that shaped menswear through the mid-2020s.

The Vision Behind the Collection

Reese Cooper’s “Fresh Air” collection for Paris Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2022 arrived at a moment when the fashion world was collectively exhaling after years of disruption. The collection’s title was not merely poetic; it functioned as a design thesis. Cooper channeled a deep reverence for the American outdoors, translating utilitarian workwear and trail-ready silhouettes into refined, considered garments that spoke directly to a generation recalibrating its relationship with open space and natural environments.

The garments featured muted earth tones, weathered textures, and functional layering that referenced heritage outerwear traditions without retreating into nostalgia. Cooper’s signature ability to blur the boundary between streetwear and outdoor technical apparel was on full display, with pieces that felt equally at home on a mountain trail and a downtown sidewalk. Wide-leg trousers, oversized field jackets, and softly constructed shirting formed the backbone of a collection that prioritized ease, movement, and authenticity over ornament.

The “Fresh Air” collection remains a landmark moment in Cooper’s catalog, widely cited in retrospectives on the post-pandemic outdoor aesthetic that shaped menswear through the mid-2020s. It captured a specific cultural mood with precision and sincerity, qualities that have made Cooper one of the most closely watched designers working in contemporary American fashion.

The Role of Collaboration in Bringing 'Fresh Air' to Life

What distinguished the “Fresh Air” runway presentation beyond the garments themselves was the exceptional quality of the creative infrastructure assembled around it. Director Andre Bato and Director of Photography David T. Okolo gave the film a visual language that felt documentary in its intimacy and cinematic in its scale, grounding the collection in natural light and expansive landscape in ways that reinforced every design decision Cooper made.

The original score, arranged by KAYTRANADA, was a defining element of the presentation’s emotional register. The Montreal-born producer and DJ, born Louis Kevin Celestin, contributed four original compositions: “Get Off That Hump,” “Things,” “Freakazoid,” and “Goodbye Bitch.” KAYTRANADA’s warm, groove-forward production gave the film an organic, unhurried energy that complemented the collection’s ethos without overpowering it. The pairing of Cooper’s design sensibility with KAYTRANADA’s sound felt intuitive, reflecting a shared aesthetic rooted in cultural fluency and deliberate cool.

Stylist Savannah White and creative studio PlayLab Inc. contributed to the cohesive presentation, while VFX artist Milan Nikolic and colorist Josh Bohoskey at The Mill refined the film’s visual finish. Production designer Matt Sokoler’s environmental choices reinforced the collection’s central themes, and the casting directed by Svea Casting brought a diversity of presence that felt intentional and genuine. The full production represented a collaborative model that elevated the runway film format into a fully realized creative statement.

Reese Cooper's Place in Contemporary Fashion

Founded by Los Angeles-born designer Reese Cooper, the Reese Cooper brand has built a devoted following through a consistent design perspective rooted in American vernacular clothing, outdoor culture, and the textures of everyday life. Since launching, Cooper has positioned his label as one of the most authentic voices operating in the space between luxury and streetwear, attracting attention from global press and a loyal community of customers who respond to the brand’s integrity and point of view.

The brand’s Paris Fashion Week presence with “Fresh Air” signaled a meaningful moment in its international trajectory. Presenting in Paris, while remaining deeply committed to an American design identity, demonstrated Cooper’s confidence in his own creative language and the universal resonance of his themes. The collection did not attempt to conform to European runway conventions; instead, it brought something distinctly American to the Paris stage and earned respect precisely for that refusal to assimilate.

Cooper’s work has consistently engaged with questions of environmental consciousness, community, and the meaning of quality in a culture of overproduction. “Fresh Air” distilled those concerns into a collection that felt urgent and timeless in equal measure. As the fashion industry continues to navigate its relationship with sustainability and cultural relevance, Cooper’s approach offers a clear and compelling model for what considered, values-driven design can look like in practice.