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hurlinghampolo.com
A D V E R T O R I A L
C O U N T R Y F I L E
Retaining its fashionable presence in both the city and at countryside
polo events, Holland Cooper celebrates 10 years of its unique aesthetic
In the world of fashion, few success stories
arise as organically as that of Holland
Cooper. The British label, which, as it reaches
its 10th year, has made its name by tapping
into a unique countryside-meets-city style,
has been driven forward from the beginning
by the passions of its charismatic founder
Jade Holland Cooper.
Growing up on an arable farm in Suffolk
– her father a farmer, her mother working
as a couturier in London and Paris – the
future designer rejected unconditional offers
to study at Central Saint Martins and London
College of Fashion, instead studying
international equine and agriculture
management at the Royal Agricultural
College in Cirencester. It was after spotting
a gap in the market for a contemporary
take on luxury country wear that she made
the decision to leave university to begin her
entrepreneurial journey.
‘I was 20 years old and going to lots of
social events in the countryside, such as
horse trials and polo matches,’ explains
Holland Cooper. ‘My mother was a keen
horsewoman, so I grew up in the pony club.
As a young woman interested in fashion,
it struck me that there really wasn’t anything
out there that was stylish for this market.’
What started as selling skirts at the
Badminton Horse Trials has since grown
into a £10 million business, with stores in
Edinburgh, Bicester and Westfield.
‘My plan was to take classic country
pieces and make themmore appealing for
a younger, more fashionable customer,’ says
Holland Cooper. ‘Tweed made in Scotland,
cut leaner and sharper into chic jackets;
waxed capes made short and neat so they
look modern and work at music festivals as
much as at horse trials; leather trousers
that can be worn in Chelsea or Cheltenham;
scarves and baker boy hats that keep you
warm but look stylish.’
hollandcooper.com
