Introducing: Stefan Cooke
The rise and rise of this British-based label shows no signs of slowing. We meet the designers who refuse to sit still
WHEN KENDRICK LAMAR BROUGHT HIS ‘THE BIG STEPPERS’ TOUR to London last year, it was a delicate silk scarf from the Stefan Cooke SS23 collection that he wore onstage at the O2. Just weeks prior to that, Emma Corrin stepped out in a whimsical, vintage T-shirt emblazoned with the words ‘foam party,’ from the personal wardrobe of the label’s designers.
Stefan Cooke and partner Jake Burt’s signature slashed, lattice-work knitwear and innovative spin on everyday clothing have had a cult following for years. Now, with an expanding creative vision that notably includes the launch of womenswear, the A-listers are swarming. ‘I want at least 50 % [of our clothing] to be womenswear,’ explains Burt. ‘It feels like a natural progression,’ Cooke says, before adding that Burt studied womenswear in school. ‘For women, you can go full-on, and totally cover something with ribbons as we are doing. I think there’s something beautiful about that.’
The two, who have been in a relationship for 11 years, met while they were both students. Burt, from Somerset, initially studied fine art at Somerset College of Arts and Technology before relocating to do an MA course in womenswear; while Cooke, who was raised in Crawley, describes a more tumultuous journey in which he was kicked out of several colleges before eventually landing at Central Saint Martins to study fashion print. ‘We felt a real connection and we were able to discuss fashion with ease and in a particular way that we both understood,’ Cooke says with a grin. Within months of the meeting, their bond was solidified. ‘I think there are only a few people in your life that you can really feel comfortable with and discuss fashion unabashedly with – it felt amazing,’ Cooke says.
Jake and Stefan embarked on a design partnership, resulting in a successful show in January 2018. ‘Jake and I discussed how it could work and we felt it would be easier for us to do this together,’ explains Cooke. ‘Our aesthetics have developed both personally and as a pair throughout our entire time in education; working on Stefan Cooke is a vessel to show both our creative outputs.’
Critical acclaim soon followed when they were nominated for an LVMH prize in 2019. Now, five years into the lifespan of their business, the pair are passionate about the evolution of the label. ‘Our philosophy is difficult to pin down. I used to feel a bit embarrassed saying that,’ Burt says. ‘But I don’t anymore.’