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Acclaim Issue 37

COPSON’s Instagram handle, @copsonlondon, is deceiving. After seeing the label’s sun kissed leisurewear, dripping in references to long hot summer days, it would have made more sense to see @copsonbarcelona or @copsoncalabria. While the label is a collective it’s Maria Falbo who’s in charge of the day-to-day. Her Italian heritage and summers spent skating abroad is what gives COPSON its sense of sunshine.

Describe COPSON to someone who hasn’t heard of it.

COPSON was born out of a feeling. You know when you’ve spent a long day on the beach and you head back to the apartment to have a shower and get ready to go out. You’re a bit sunburnt, bit zapped, after showering there is sand in the basin. You throw on whatever top and have your first drink of the evening. That’s COPSON.

Who’s involved in the brand and what do they do?

COPSON is basically a ‘family’ run business, we’re a crew of friends that all met at the University of Manchester when we were studying. We lived on Copson Street. It’s evolved over the years, people have come and gone, some have had babies and moved across the other side of the world, we’ve gotten older, and our tastes have evolved… But we were all born out of skateboarding.

We have a network of creative friends across the world, that we bring in on various projects, designs, content, again mostly skateboarders (ones with a strong vision or creative eye). We haven’t gone for the typical skate team approach, we want to offer something a little more contemporary as a brand.

Do you have an ethos that you follow?

I guess our ethos is ‘sun-kissed leisure’ and anything that comes under that. Our purpose is to live the good life, and share this with our audience, allowing them to be a part of it too. We also believe in less is more, we consciously make all of our clothing in Europe, which takes longer, is more expensive, but will result in a classic wardrobe staple for years to come.

Such Mediterranean ideals for a British-based brand is intriguing.

We chase the sun… why live under the rain? It’s when we feel most inspired. I also have Italian roots, so a lot of my summers were spent on the Italian coast.

COPSON began as a blog. How do you go from being a blog to being a clothing label?

Style references were a big part of the blog, and we saw a gap in the skate market. At the time things were a little dry and safe—we wanted to create something fresh and a little daring. We didn’t really have a plan in place, and were stoked when some of our favourite retailers stared reaching out. We’re still learning along the way.

What kind of person is your customer?

It would be your older skateboarder—a creative guy that likes to express himself. They’re into travel, living well, nice furniture, and good clothes. Most likely knows how to make a negroni. We can’t forget the girls too—same for them.

Talk us through your designs. Where do your ideas come from?

I’m mostly inspired by my Italian uncle’s summer wardrobe when I was young, how my friends dress, and what skateboarders are randomly adopting. It’s definitely a fusion of subculture and classics. The process is very ad hoc. I have a notebook full of ideas that I check back into when needed. We couldn’t care less about trends, but about creating something unique.

What’re your goals? Where do you want to take COPSON?

Oh there’s many, the immediate one is to spread the COPSON feeling to more people.

Follow COPSON:
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Website

  • Photography by: Lydia Garnett

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