Jonathan Cohen is a product of the cultural heritage he was exposed to growing up, with parents from Mexico and a San Diego upbringing. In high school, he would see surfers changing out of their wetsuits into school outfits with an ease and laid-back nature only someone from a beach town could. At home, he was surrounded by strong-willed individuals who loved to immerse themselves in the colors and textiles reminiscent of their childhood.
 Cohen moved to New York, where the modernity of Manhattan and the city’s on-the-go fluidity shaped his design direction and inspiration for the Jonathan Cohen woman. Mexican prints and patterns and colors, the laid-back ease of the San Diego surf culture, and the modern city approach  manifested into what the brand is today.
Cohen met business partner Sarah Leff while attending Parsons School of Design. Together, they formally launched Jonathan Cohen in 2011.
Cohen’s senior thesis received  recognition and encouragement from his peers and teachers, and, upon graduation, he spent a year in California, where he continued to build upon the thesis with new pieces and silhouettes. Back in New York, he connected with Leff and photographed a re-interpreted lookbook, garnering the attention of editors, and crystallizing the ethos of the Jonathan Cohen brand and customer: an artistic female who values the story of the brand and the pillars in which it is built upon; a multi-dimensional woman who cannot be defined by a single quality; someone who has many facets which help to shape her sense of self and awareness; a woman who values quality over quantity, values the craftsmanship that goes into creating her garments and when she spends money on a piece, she wants to make sure when she puts it on, she feels both unique and special.
Cohen was a runner-up for the 2018 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund, and participated in the 2018-2019 CFDA + Lexus Fashion* Initiative.
Jonathan Cohen is a CFDA Member since 2021.