The Ministry: Thou Shalt Covet.

Career crossover, the kind of thing legions of models and it-girls have been engaging in for quite a few years now (whether or not they were incredibly ignorant of the workings of design), always felt like a great idea on first thought, but almost always proved itself a sham in the end. Still, despite Kate, SJP and…er…Liam Gallagher’s lacking endeavours, creatives (rather than celebrities) remain enthused about the prospect of bringing one area of expertise to another more fashion-related. 

Take J. LeRon Cooper; a Newark, NJ native who, not satisfied with his lot within the artistic field of mural painting and tattoo artistry, sought to branch into fashion via his line, The Ministry (do watch the flash intro  – it’s full of Cooper’s amaze clothing cut with religious iconography). Thankfully, though, unlike many Turner Prize hopefuls turned would-be designers, Cooper refrains from piling on all that conceptual baggage. His passion is for utilitarian art – art that can be interacted with, and serves a purpose, whether it be specific or multifaceted. And although there’s no cohesive set of pieces, no collection per se, it’s kind of refreshing to be surprised with what Cooper conjures up next – like the below Swarovski tuxedo tee, drop-crotch jeans (love the button detailing on the side), Napoleon silk and linen blend button down and collarless napa leather shirt which just drip luxury but don’t veer into flaming peacock territory…

Some of Cooper’s sketches which remind me of 80s-era Gaultier and Mugler…

And campaign shots which blend the practicality of the clothing as well as the sometimes understated, sometimes overt luxury…