STARTER ANZ: SAM COOPER
— THE MAN BEHIND THE BRAND
In the early ‘90s there was one brand that stood out among all others – Starter. By forging partnerships with the major pro sports leagues, the premium athletic brand became a wardrobe staple for sports fans, athletes and popular icons to express their team pride and street style. Starter made licensed sports apparel a fashion status symbol and pioneered the fusion of fashion with athletic clothing. In the ‘80s and ‘90s the sportswear brand became a cultural and fashion phenomenon. Now, its relaunching 50 years later in Australia & New Zealand. We sat down with the brand manager for Starter ANZ, Sam Cooper, to discuss his role, his thoughts and what’s next.
Words & Interview by DANIELLE FOX
SAM COOPER — STARTER ANZ BRAND DIRECTOR
WE BEGAN BY ASKING SAM ABOUT HIS BACKGROUND AND HIS ROLE IN THE RELAUNCH.
My name is Sam Cooper, I am a clothing designer who lives in Brisbane. I was born in the UK, but grew up in New Zealand where I studied a Bachelor of Industrial Design. After that I moved to Brisbane and did a post grad in graphic design. I got my first design gig working for Culture Kings doing marketing. I started designing some t-shirts for Culture Kings and that slowly progressed into teaching myself how to design full garments, to now designing and managing multiple brands. I am super passionate about all things music, sports and streetwear. I’m currently working as the Brand Manager for Starter. That involves designing the product alongside Katherine my production manager (shout out Killer Kath), to planning and directing the content with some epic creators (shout out Jacob & Todd), to then managing the Instagram and website. The full spectrum end to end of the brand.
WE ASKED ABOUT THE BEST PART OF HIS JOB.
The best part of my job is being able to bring concepts and ideas to life. You start from a drawing on a computer, to then being able to see and wear a physical sample. Also seeing other people wear your shit is pretty special as well, as long as they are wearing it the right way (laughs).
BRAND MANAGER / DESIGNER — SAM COOPER (LEFT)
PRODUCTION MANAGER — KATHERINE GOLCHERT (RIGHT)
WE THEN ASKED WHAT INSPIRES AND MOTIVATES HIM.
The main thing that motivates me is working with other creative people, whether that’s other designers, photographers or musicians. I think learning and absorbing other peoples creative craft helps fuel and inspire mine. I find inspiration from sub-cultures whether that’s music and various genres and scenes, to the history and heritages of sports.
“OUR MAIN MISSION IS TO REVIVE SUCH AN ICONIC BRAND”
— SAM COOPER
STARTER RANGE 1 CAMPAIGN — featuring an All Star team of Brisbane based talents - from left to right: 🏀 @_t.slimwignessjr_ (Athlete) 💃 @lydiakivela (Dancer + Model) 🎧 @dameeeela (DJ) 🎤 @nerve.mp3 (Artist + Producer) 🎤 @keileeza (Artist) 🏉 @jordan.kahu (Athlete) 🎤 @steezmalase (Artist) Photo by 📸 @photodd
WE DISCUSSED HOW THE CULTURE KINGS X STARTER COLLABORATION CAME ABOUT.
Culture Kings x Starter came about pretty naturally because Culture Kings are a Streetwear powerhouse in Australia and they have a solid mix of sports, music and fashion, so it made sense to partner with them as a retailer for Starter and also work together on a collaboration.
WE DIVED DEEPER INTO STARTER’S MISSION IN AU & NZ AND WHY THEY HAD DECIDED TO RELAUNCH NOW IN 2021.
I think our main mission is to revive such an iconic brand. We want to breathe some life back into it by remaining true to its roots and heritage, but also modernise it by staying on the pulse and staying fresh. Championed by those who lead by example, innovate through their craft and pay homage to those who laid the foundation of the culture.
THEN WE TALKED PRODUCTS.
Season #1 is very core sportswear roots, lots of fleece, hoodies, track-pants, heavily branded tees and a range of headwear. I have also chucked in a few unique sports items like the fleece hockey Jersey and basketball short. Everything is really good quality and has all the Starter branding people know and love.
WE ASKED SAM HOW HE WANTED PEOPLE TO FEEL WHEN THEY WORE THE NEW SEASON OF STARTER.
Nostalgic and iconic while being comfortable and fresh. Confident in the quality of the clothing but also in the brand they are representing.
STARTER SEASON #1 CAMPAIGN VIDEO
STARTER WAS KNOWN FOR THEIR MARKETING CAMPAIGNS ON TELEVISION AND PRINT IN THE ‘90S. WE ASKED SAM IF IN THE AGE OF SOCIAL MEDIA HE THOUGHT STARTER WOULD MARKET THEIR CLOTHING WITH THE NOSTALGIA OF THE ‘90S, OR START OVER FRESH IN AU & NZ?
100% I am a big fan of the brands past and heritage and the way the brand was marketed, so I will try and incorporate that throwback feel as much as possible, but at the same time I want to use local Australian and New Zealand creative leaders from multiple fields to bring some newness and modern style to Starter’s identity.
FINALLY, WE ASKED SAM WHAT HIS FAVOURITE PIECE FROM THE SEASON #1 RELEASE WAS AND WHAT WE WOULD SEE HIM WEARING.
My favourite piece from Season #1 is the Warm up Hockey Jersey, I am a big fan of Ice Hockey and the jerseys they wear from watching 90s/00s hip-hop music videos, so I had to sneak that in the range. You will see me wearing a Starter hat at all times, a baggie tee or jersey and some relaxed bottoms with some Nikes.