Co designers Stephanie Danan and Justin Kern tend to make clothes with a romantic streak—think ruffles and floral jacquards with a tactile hand. They’ve been stripping back on that whimsy in the last couple of seasons, however, and their latest collection sees them moving towards a minimalist zone. “This is our version of a lifestyle collection,” said Danan, picking up a crisp cotton shirt off the rack. “I’ve been craving clean lines so much recently. It feels almost like a reaction against all the maximalism that’s around right now.” It’s a sentiment that will strike a chord with other fashion lovers, this writer included. Froufrou stylings might offer a little levity in tumultuous times, but they are hardly a grounding influence.
Click through images of Co’s new collection, and you’ll notice that there’s an elegant austerity in the backdrop, too: The lookbook was shot on the grounds of the brand’s new showroom in Los Angeles, the Fitzpatrick-Leland House designed by architect Rudolph Schindler in the 1930s, what is locally considered to be a modernist masterpiece. In fact, the couple made the final restorations on the space earlier this year, just as they were conceiving of Resort. It’s evident from the body-skimming jersey maxi dresses and chic denim frocks that there’s a new focus on function at Co. That’s not to say that they’ve wiped the slate clean of the dreamier aspects of the label completely. While the ruffles have been pared back, there’s still an appealing femininity to the designs—the peasant shirts with billowing sleeves are a mainstay, and there are still retro-inspired micro-florals and novelty hand-drawn prints to be found.
That said, the success of their best-selling essentials capsule has clearly filtered through to the way they work overall. Co is moving that basics business to a direct-to-consumer model later this month, along with accessories, a smart and decidedly practical way to lay the foundations for expansion.
