In thrift stores, Reeder forages for second-hand clothing, seeking out striking colours, prints and fabrics. A dot pattern, he says may later inform the shape he paints a tree. In bookshops, he flicks through out-of-date telephone books before tackling piles of old magazines. “I like that kind of time travel,” he explains. “Old fashion magazines, from the 80s or something, there’s colours I wouldn’t think of. Some burgundy sweater that ends up finding its way into one of my paintings [when] I try to match that colour.”
In principle, there are similarities between Reeder’s magpie research and outfits worn in videos uploaded to TikTok: the social media platform has set a trend for collage-like dressing, with users assembling get-ups from items of clothing that cross genres and decades. It’s a joyful concept and one that Hedi Slimane paid tribute to with The Dancing Kid, his Spring / Summer 2021 menswear collection for Celine.