23 year old Perth born Jordan Fresher created his cult Riot Hill brand in 2018, and to say the rise has been dramatic is an understatement. Riot Hill is a brand that is sometimes described as anarchistic and rebellious – an approach Fresher has embraced in building the brand.
Eschewing the traditional paths to prominence, Fresher knew he just had to get his clothes on the right people. So he did what any budding entrepreneur would do – he made a 1-of-1 jacket for The Weeknd, who was on tour in Australia at the time, and reached out to his connections to get the jacket to him. The hustle paid off – fast forward to Coachella 2018 and The Weeknd wearing a Riot Hill piece on stage, and the brand officially blew up.
Riot Hill pieces have since been worn by Bella Hadid, Nas, and more, and the brand’s collections have featured on VOGUE and Highsnobiety, just to name a few.
But to reference Riot Hill as just ‘that brand The Weeknd wore’ (and is now an investor in) would be to do Fresher a massive disservice. In a time where it’s easier than ever to start a brand with a few blank hoodies and some design software, Fresher has focused on combat inspired pants and rugged feature-rich jackets.
To learn what makes Fresher tick, we caught up with him for a chat.
Q: Riot Hill has been around since 2018, and the trajectory of the brand and what you’ve accomplished has been huge. What do you put the success down to?
Jordan Fresher: I think it can be put down to hard work and keeping everything organic.
Q: The brand is your creative outlet and a vehicle for your tastes and aesthetic. With the success you’ve had, do you feel pressure to try and make stuff that people will like?
Not really, If I can look at a piece we’ve made, hold it in my hands and say ‘I would wear this!’, that’s the only approval needed.
Q: What’s your creative process and has that evolved since you started the brand?
I always want to keep the creative process organic and let what I’m inspired by at the time lead the way in terms of concepts and design. However, the structure around bringing these ideas to life is always adjusting and improving.
Q: You’ve grown up in Perth – it’s a beautiful city but it’s not necessarily known for birthing creative visionaries like yourself. What’s your advice to other young creators around Australia who might not be in the big cities?
The best thing about this era we are in is that the world is literally at our fingertips and information has never been more accessible. I guess I would just encourage people to seek inspiration wherever they can find it and to not let a small city be an excuse for not pursuing their dream.
Q: We’re in an era of collaborations. Is there a dream brand or product for Riot Hill to work with?
We’re not too focused on collaborating with anyone right now but It’s always been my dream to work with Nike. I’m big into speaking things into existence so here you go.
