For Reese Cooper, inspiration didn’t arrive in the form of some grand wilderness journey or archival deep dive. Instead, it came from something refreshingly human: a last-minute scramble for a suit before a family wedding. That moment of sartorial vulnerability sparked a shift—one that reshapes the rugged DNA of Cooper’s brand into a more refined, multi-purpose wardrobe.

The Spring/Summer 2026 collection, presented via lookbook in Paris’s Upper Marais, reflects this evolution with quiet confidence. Cooper, known for fusing California outdoors culture with utilitarian design, now folds in the language of tailoring without compromising authenticity. It’s Americana reimagined—not with nostalgia, but with personal growth stitched into every seam.

Tailoring, once peripheral in his world, now takes center stage. Blazers and trenches—crafted in nylon and cinched with ripstop cords—feel equal parts street-smart and red-carpet ready. The cargo detailing, a Cooper hallmark, remains—but here, it’s recontextualized. Oversized pockets and architectural flaps appear not just on field jackets but on shirts and a standout printed poncho, making functionality feel sculptural, even poetic.

The color story leans into contrast: crisp black, white, and red houndstooth lends urbane sharpness, while soft cottons and fluid trousers keep the silhouettes grounded. There’s ease in the layering—shirt-jackets, field vests, Harringtons—but also precision. Every piece feels designed to transition: from forest floor to gallery opening, or from hiking trail to hotel rooftop.

And yes, the carabiner endures—now practically iconic within the Reese Cooper universe. Originally designed by an aerospace engineer, it continues to function as a symbol of utility and collaboration, bridging fashion with engineering, form with fieldwork.

While the clothes were shown in Paris, the collection’s soul remains rooted in California’s wild terrain. For the lookbook, Cooper returned to the Angeles National Forest, photographing models perched in the San Gabriel River basin. These aren’t just pretty pictures—they echo his ongoing partnership with the U.S. Forest Service, a relationship that speaks to real stewardship, not just borrowed aesthetics.

This collection doesn’t shout transformation—it whispers it. And that makes the shift all the more resonant. There’s a clarity here, a message that life doesn’t always require reinvention, but rather recalibration. Reese Cooper isn’t abandoning the trail; he’s just widening the path.

With Spring/Summer 2026, he designs for the in-between spaces: the morning hike before the city meeting, the wedding toast in the woods, the quiet belief that function and formality aren’t at odds—they’re just waiting for the right designer to bring them together.