LDC Top 50 2025
Jade Holland Cooper
Founder and Managing Director
Holland Cooper
Jade Holland Cooper founded British luxury brand Holland Cooper when she was just 22, spotting a gap in the market for stylish country clothes. “I’d go to equestrian and country events and everyone was wearing the same thing. No brand had touched this market,” she says.
She launched Holland Cooper at Badminton Horse Trials in 2008 with a two-metre stand and 30 tweed mini-skirts. Today, it’s a full lifestyle offering, from fashion to homeware, with 120 employees and boutiques in Cheltenham and Bicester Village. The brand expanded into the US last year. “I’m always challenging myself. Can we beat last year? Are we evolving? Complacency isn’t an option.”
“I’m always challenging myself. Can we beat last year? Are we evolving? Complacency isn’t an option.”
Q&A
How did Holland Cooper begin?
I grew up on a farm and was a shy, horse-obsessed child. I went to the Royal Agricultural College and my social life revolved around country events; I knew I could design for that market because I was the customer. Launching Holland Cooper at Badminton Horse Trials was an unconventional start but it was a self-sustaining, cash-generative model with minimal outlay. I made the product, sold it and used the money to make more. In the first year, I travelled to 39 different country events with a 3.5-tonne trailer. It was brutal but addictive.
How are you growing the business?
We’re building a 70,000 sq ft custom head office in Cheltenham, complete with mock shops, photography studios, wholesale showrooms and a 7,000 sq ft flagship store. We recently launched our US website, with plans for territory-specific sites in key growth markets like Germany, the Netherlands, Canada and Australia. Based on our current trajectory, we could hit £100 million in the next few years. This is the most challenging phase yet. I’m massively outside my comfort zone. My husband [Superdry co-founder Julian Dunkerton] is also in retail and thank God I have him as a sounding board because it can be very lonely.
What’s your proudest moment?
Kate Middleton wearing our trench coat was a pivotal moment. It changed everything almost overnight, putting us on a global stage. I was on a photoshoot when the calls started flooding in. People talk about the ‘Kate effect’ and it’s real!
