Co designer Stephanie Danan and her partner Justin Kern have been leaning into a less-is-more aesthetic for the past few seasons. “Overdressing seems frivolous,” said Danan, speaking over the phone from Los Angeles. “I want clothes that follow me around, and that’s in the air right now.” In the landscape of SoCal design, Co occupies a more refined space than most, one that’s also adjacent to the red carpet. Danan and Kern dress the Hollywood power players working behind the scenes, women they rubbed shoulders with in their former lives as movie business creatives. In the wake of #MeToo, that sober approach to dressing feels right, whether La La Land is your natural habitat or not.
Co made day dresses its mainstay early on, though these days, the nip-waisted 1940s-ish silhouette has been replaced with a far more voluminous one that takes the oversize shirtdress to its ultimate conclusion. As Danan pointed out, “You won’t need to wear Spanx under these to look and feel good.” And who could possibly argue with that? The most striking of those dresses came covered in a pale blue and beige plaid motif, one of the few patterns in the collection. Neutrals and earth tones have been making a big comeback on the runway, and clearly, Co is tuning into those pared-back vibrations, too. The trenchcoat and blazer in khaki green and sturdy high-waist canvas pants and slit skirt in Carhartt brown were an elevated answer to traditional workwear and among the standouts in the collection.
Since Co launched an essentials line earlier this summer, its business in sophisticated basics has exploded. The knit cashmere sweaters, cotton dresses, and blouses that used to sit on a single rack next to the main collection now filled a room all of their own at Spring Studios, where the brand hosted its market appointments. Less is more, truly.
