Draper James is a clothing label started in 2015 by actress Reese Witherspoon. The collection intends to “highlight (Witherspoon’s) southern heritage and unique style,” a tribute to Witherspoon’s Southern upbringing. Dorothea Draper and William James Witherspoon, Witherspoon’s grandparents, inspired the name.
History
Andrea Hyde, the former president of Burch Creative Capital, oversaw the launch of Draper James, which began in May 2015, as well as a $7 million seed investment. In October 2015, Draper James announced a $10 million financing round from Forerunner Ventures, an early-stage investment firm.
Draper James opened its first brick and mortar store in Witherspoon’s hometown of Nashville, Tennessee, in October 2015. In September 2016, the second location opened in Dallas, Texas. In September 2019, the Dallas site was relocated to a popup in Southlake, Texas. The Summit at Fritz Farm, in Nashville, Tennessee, opened in May 2017. In December 2017, an opened in the Shops Around Lenox in Buckhead, Atlanta, Georgia.
The distinctive “totes y’all” bag was seen in the Gilmore Girls Revival, and Draper James has been featured in PEOPLE, Vanity Fair, Oprah Magazine, and Coveteur, among other publications.
Draper James was named “Best Shop in Tennessee” by Southern Living in March 2017. In the same month, Draper James announced a collaboration with Birchbox, a beauty subscription service. Draper James teamed up with Jack Rogers (Footwear Retailer) to release three new designs of the classic Jack Rogers sandal in April 2017.
In May 2017, Draper James and Net-a-Porter announced their collaboration. Taylor Rettig took over as CEO of the company from Hyde in September 2017.
Kathryn Sukey was chosen as the new head of design at Draper James, and her first collection premiered in Spring 2019. Sukey also created the brand’s first in-house plus-size collection.
