When you think of “romantic fashion,” familiar themes likely come to mind: corsets, shades of pink, buoyant sleeves, voluminous skirts. You may not immediately think of an argyle sweater vest or a trench coat, but Co designers Stephanie Danan and Justin Kern do.
Clothing that travels through time, bouncing from one person’s closet to another’s, is as fanciful as it gets for them. Danan reverently describes the feeling of trying on a vintage dress and finding a piece of ephemera from its previous life in the pocket as inspiration for fall 2022. “We wanted to create that longevity and feeling of romance,” she says. “You have to shut that noise out and go back to basics, and make clothes with attention to fit. It’s not romance from a silhouette perspective, but from a ‘what does this mean to women’ perspective.”
Co’s pre-collections focus on wardrobe foundations, whereas fall and spring are more fashion forward. Fall seemingly has a lot of building blocks, but Danan says she and Kern focused on elevating a workhorse, everyday coat into the coat—one you don’t want to part with because the lining is so luxurious (much time was spent on the linings this season). These pieces aren’t special because their silhouette is especially groundbreaking—though Co’s take on minimalism always feels fresh and imaginative—but rather because of Kern and Danan’s attention to detail. Danan feels strongly enough to proclaim, “It’s a really interesting experience to make a collection that you feel is your favorite ever.”
The offering includes several suits, including one with Bermuda shorts, and voluminous separates. The knitwear is strong. Co jumped on the hood trend several seasons ago and continued it in knitted dickeys. A stiff white dress, layered under a deep scoop-neck sweater and paired with white lace-up flats creates an effect that is at once ethereal and strong. Though covered head to toe, there’s something sensual about it. And there it is: romance.
