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						JON PLEASED WIMMIN EARLY DAYS
							Jonathan Cooper spent his toddler years in the Belgian Congo in Africa. It was a religious upbringing with both his parents serving as missionaries in the Salvation Army until the Cooper family moved back to Croydon when Jon was aged 3. As a child, Jon developed a love of music and fashion, from playing cello and piano in the Salvation army band to discovering a love of clothes. At school, Jon would spend his dinner money on buying records (the first record he bought was by Blondie) and would spend his time scribbling his favourite bands names like Echo & The Bunnymen in his rough book. True to his non conforming nature, Jon became a goth in his teens. He turned to the Croydon goth clubs to hear music from The Virgin Prunes, Soft Cell and Cocteau Twins. Then Jon discovered London’s West End clubs such as The Hippodrome in the mid 80’s. He became completely obsessed and inspired by the New Romantic era – thanks to bands such as Visage, Depeche Mode and Human League. It was around this time that he came across Patrick Cowley’s epic 15 minute electronica remix of Donna Summer’s ‘I Feel Love’. Cowley remains one of Jon’s biggest inspirations to this day. Studying fashion at the London College of Fashion, Jon met a whole host of colourful characters in the music, club and fashion world. In between dancing for singer Lindy Layton (of Beats International fame) and hanging out with Princess Julia and co, Jon went on first to run his own clothes shop in Kensington market and then to work for designer, Rachel Auburn in her clothes shop. back to JON PLEASED WIMMIN / THE VISITOR  menu