Co's Stephanie Danan and Justin Kern premiered the short film for their Fall collection, Tependris Rising, on Style.com last month. In the weeks since, they've been approached about turning the funny little flick, made in collaboration with Mrs. Tependris' alter ego, the artist Konstantin Kakanias, and a slew of other creative types, into a half-hour show. And they've enjoyed similar levels of enthusiasm about their new Spring collection. Forty Five Ten in Dallas, Isetan in Japan, and Boon the Shop in Korea have all picked up the L.A.-based line. As ever, the clothes are designed with women like Danan, a film producer-turned-designer, in mind. She's a working girl who loves fashion but not necessarily trends; a sophisticate who doesn't want to spend a fortune. There were fuchsia separates here—a departure from their typical all-black lineup—but you won't, for example, find a single print.
If the overall mood was lighter than usual, you can chalk that up to the laugh-out-loud-funny Mrs. Tependris herself. The mini-movie took eight months to make, months that overlapped with design time for Spring. Lightness came through in a few ways: Many of the dresses were A-line or tent-shaped, almost filled with air. And adding low-key cotton poplins was another way to emphasize a fresh, relaxed mood. Still, the best look was an outfit of the more dressed-up variety: A black camisole strewn with ostrich feathers at the hem, worn with black cigarette pants and a short-sleeve jacket took its chic seriously.
