Two weeks ago, we launched our In America campaign. Our biggest project yet, it’s an ode to US design in all its guises, which we’re celebrating through a series of exclusive collections from the country’s most iconic and exciting designers. We couldn’t really stand by that claim without enlisting the help of some of the most renowned names in menswear, TOM FORD and Thom Browne to name a few. But In America is also about turning our lens towards the new, buzzy labels that are shaking up the country’s menswear scene. And few are more emblematic of that than CHERRY LA.

Cofounded by long-time friends Messrs Joseph Perez and David Levy, whose families have been in the clothing manufacturing industry for generations, CHERRY LA crowned a childhood dream. “Some kids want to be doctors, some want to be firefighters,” says Perez. “For us, it was clothing. Our idols were in clothing, so we’ve always wanted to work in this industry.”

It wasn’t until 2017, though, that the pair came together to bring their vision to life. Described as “the intersection of streetwear and the classic Americana lifestyle”, CHERRY LA set out to reinterpret traditional American staples through a contemporary and inclusive perspective. Which is why our collaboration – an exclusive capsule collection, now available to shop at MR PORTER – was a no-brainer. “Envisioning this collection with MR PORTER came natural to us,” Perez tells us. “Anyone that sees it should be able to understand right off the bat that the diversity of American style is ingrained in our DNA.”

Born in Paris and Montréal respectively, Perez and Levy both moved to LA as children. This has perhaps shaped their approach to American style. “Growing up, we were obsessed with the culture and, because we aren’t originally from here, we studied it more than the average,” Perez says. Their deep dive into the cultural history of the US – which took them from cars to fashion and architecture from the 1950s to the 1990s – turned into an idea for a lifestyle brand “for the people”.

This perspective perhaps stems from the pair approaching American style as outsiders; Perez and Levy are from Paris and Montréal, respectively. “Growing up, we were obsessed with the culture and, because we aren’t originally from here, we studied it more than the average,” says Perez. Their deep dive into the cultural history of the US – which took them from cars to fashion and architecture from the 1950s to the 1990s – turned into an idea for a lifestyle brand “for the people”.

The resulting collections are a mashup of Perez and Levy’s references and influences, filled with everything from branded sweats and workwear-inspired cut-and-sew garments to bowling shirts, denim jackets and Oxford shirts. Highlights from the MR PORTER-exclusive capsule include a cowboy-printed trucker jacket and jeans set, a wool club jacket – a low-key sporting jacket that first gained popularity among Ivy League colleges – and other classic American staples, all catered to today’s style-conscious dressers. “You’ll see an Oxford shirt with a slightly boxier cut, or a cropped crew neck with thick ribbing, that give you a slouchier fit but still have the properness of the 1950s and 1960s,” Levy says.

The founders’ family backgrounds in the clothing industry ensure that all of CHERRY LA’s pieces are considered down to the last detail. “Brands will have their customers knocking them down,” he says. “For us, one of our parents will come into the store and say, ‘You have this wrong’ instead.”

But judging by its long list of devotees, which includes Mr Justin Bieber, Wiz Khalifa and YG among others, it seems like CHERRY LA is getting very little wrong. All its fabrics are sourced locally whenever possible, and its collections are made in South Central, California. “Producing locally brings confidence in knowing each garment is made to the highest quality it can be,” Levy says. “We get to see, touch and feel each piece every step of the way. We know every person creating our clothes by name – we have created a real family.”

The label’s pieces are designed to be unisex, and envisioned to be worn by anyone, from a child to his grandparents. “A couple of weeks after opening our flagship store earlier this year, a family came in,” recalls Mr Russ Siadatian, a long-time collaborator of the brand. “A kid in his teens, the daughter in her college years, the parents, probably in their fifties – they all bought something that they adored. That felt like a personal victory for us.”

If the ultimate goal of our In America campaign was to portray the breadth and variety of American fashion – be it through design influences, gender, or age – then CHERRY LA is, if we do say so ourselves, the cherry on top. “Back in the 1950s and 1960s, when you’d see a perfect, immaculate car, you’d call it ‘cherry’,” Perez says. “That’s one of the reasons behind our name.” There may be no such thing as a perfect or immaculate depiction of US style; but in reflecting its sheer diversity, CHERRY LA is about as close as it gets.