Since 1908
The brand that became Lee Cooper was born in the East End of London in 1908, in run-down premises at numbers 94 – 96 Middlesex Street. This makes it Europe's first and oldest, authentic denim brand. What they made there was tough uncompromising workwear.
The business was founded by Morris Cooper and his best friend, Louis Maister, after they'd left their hometown in Lithuania and travelled first to South Africa and then to London. Their idea was make workwear in the East End and export it to South Africa, where they knew there would be a big demand.
1914
By the time the First World War came along in 1914, Morris and Louis were employing 600 people. Exports and long sea journeys were now a risky business. So they started making uniforms for the army. Morris was a self-taught tailor, but practice had made him a very good one.
After the war, times were tough, but the workwear trade survived the General Strike and the Great Depression, and the business doing fine. For reasons of his own, Louis decided to leave and Morris renamed what was now his business, Morris Cooper (Overalls) Ltd. From now on, it would specialise making high quality denim jackets and trouser
1939
When the Second World War started, Morris divided the business in two. Part of it still made workwear, but the rest of it made military uniforms, flying overalls and battle fatigues. These were complicated to make, but Morris was a very talented pattern maker and they managed, becoming one of the military's biggest suppliers.
As the Battle of Britain was being fought in the skies overhead, Morris was killed in a car accident, and with his son, Harold away in the RAF, it was left up to other members of the family to keep the business afloa
Legend
First to the Teddy boys, then the Mods, through hippy, to punk and every musical and cultural shift since - in Britain, Europe, the Far East, Australasia and around the globe – the name Lee Cooper has become legend. In our designs, our materials, and in every stitch and rivet.
Lee Cooper
Devoted to denim, dedicated to style
Rock 'n' Roll
If you wore workwear in the 1950s and 60s, the chances were four out of five that you were wearing Lee Cooper. So great was its reputation for making tough, hardwearing, high quality work clothes that the business had now captured more than 80% of the UK market.
Something far more far-reaching was also going on in the 1950s and 60s. Young people were overturning convention to a soundtrack of rock'n'roll and denim was fast becoming a symbol of youth revolution. Harold Cooper was an unlikely revolutionary, but before the American jean giants arrived, he was the man who introduced denim to young Europe and the world.
Post War
When he got back from the war, Harold set about modernising the business and the post war introduction of clothes rationing helped him. If you wanted to buy a man's suit, it would cost you 26 ration coupons. A dress took about 15. But you only needed one coupon to buy a pair of jeans.
In less than five years, Harold's business had become Britain's top denim brand. It had a brand new factory in a new town called Harold Hill. Its workwear was being worn all over the world and by incorporating his wife's family name into the name of the business, it now became Lee Cooper.
