When Kelly Cooper walked by the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City as a high school student, she teared up.
THAT was what she felt called to do.
Too bad she'd already enlisted in the U.S. Air Force.
Cooper spent eight years in the Air Force traveling the world and then another handful of years working as a government consultant in Washington, D.C. She says she joined the Air Force because she wanted to serve her country and see the world. Still, she couldn't ditch her inner fashionista.
The April 2017 launch of her online children's clothing line Tomato Superstar was a long time coming.
Under her umbrella business Kelly Cooper Designs, Cooper designs and sells what she describes as "boho-chic" clothing for girls. She sells online, not in a physical store, but Tucson residents get free shipping. Perks.
Tomato Superstar's tunics, dresses and T-shirts are flowy, colorful and eclectic, in part inspired by Cooper's international travels.
"After I had my daughter, they didn't have any clothes that I wanted for her, so I ended up taking sewing courses and was able to spit out what designs I wanted," Cooper says.
Her daughter Hannah is now a third-grader. That was along time ago.
Kelly Cooper says her daughter Hannah helps her come up with designs. Hannah's art inspires her, she says.
While still in D.C., Cooper had a fashion styling business on the side, helping people dress for civilian life after getting out of the military.
Fashion has always been part of her life, even when she felt like her uniform stifled her creativity.
While stationed in England, Cooper began working on her bachelor's degree in business at a University of Maryland campus.
"I remember my first speech class in England ... was on fashion," she says. "So I'm just standing there in my uniform holding up high heels because I had finished work and didn't have time to change before I went to class."
She remembers dressing up for excursions in London, and after getting out of the military, she married her husband Alex in Italy and followed it up with a honeymoon in Milan.
"It's just always what I wanted to do," Cooper says of fashion. "It's always what I was meant to do, life just took me in a different direction, so after I had my kids, I decided to pursue it. I took classes to learn more about fashion, especially fashion marketing ... I just always thought it was one of those things that wasn't very logical."
But not any more. After the military, Cooper went to grad school to continue studying business. Now, she's an entrepreneur and fashion designer with two kids. The family moved here several years ago for her husband's job. He works as a software engineer.
"It was like a five-year process," Cooper says of getting ready to launch the clothing line. "It was forever, just trying to be a mom and raise your littles. I decided to launch it last year because my son started kindergarten this year. I have a little more time to work on stuff."
This is dream she has been working toward for a long time.
Kelly Cooper describes the style of her clothing line Tomato Superstar as "boho-chic."
"She's always been preparing herself for that day to come," says her husband Alex Cooper. "It's been a long journey ... It's been quite a few years, and to see it actually happen has been amazing."
These days, she rises before her kids and stays up late to work on Tomato Superstar. She has about 15 designs with as many as 50 variations (think fabric, color, etc.). Average prices range between $20 and $30 for a garment.
Her whole family helps, with her son on shipping duty, her husband helping with finances and her daughter drawing designs.
"We're all kind of involved in it," Alex Cooper says. "It shows our kids a lot. With hard work, you can have your dreams come true, but you have to continue working at it."
Kelly Cooper, left, says Tomato Superstar is a family affair.
Cooper has committed to giving part of the business' proceeds back to organizations that fight human trafficking, gendercide and the marginalization of girls around the world. So far, she is sponsoring a little girl in India through the Invisible Girl Project and hopes to someday fully partner with these organizations as her brand grows.
"It's not just about me becoming well off, it's about me helping other people," she says. "That's how it's always been for me. I just don't think (business) is worth it if it's not done for that reason."
Her own daughter motivates her to do what she can for little girls in other parts of the world.
"They all deserve their own voice," she says. "It's their birthright to be who they want to be. ... I watch (Hannah) and when I see what her gifts are, I tell her to pursue that and not just do whatever everyone else is doing. You gotta pursue where you have gifts, and I think everyone deserves that right."
Hannah Cooper models one of her mom's designs.
Hannah, actually, is the one who named the business in the first place.
The phrase "Tomato Superstar" came from a knock-knock joke she made up inspired by the cartoon "Veggie Tales."
"It's catchy and it's silly," Cooper says. "And since it's a children's clothing line, I wanted it to be named by something that came out of her mouth."
