Co is a tale of (at least) two cities. Founded in LA 15 years ago, the whole operation moved to the City of Light about 18 months ago. Which makes cofounder Stephanie Danan’s decision to stage her very first show this season all the more impressive.
“I just took the leap,” she offered backstage before her show, in a vast Haussmannian apartment on the Rue de Rivoli overlooking the Tuileries. “Maybe Paris gave me a little courage.”
The show—mostly in earth tones with a pop of deep red leather—read like a statement of intent. Danan is a creative director who knows her clients. What they want from her, she said, is “great wardrobings and shapes they can’t find anywhere else.” Those tend to be, for example, new-gen iterations of the jackets favored by women heading to the office in the early days of power dressing. Danan knows a thing or two about this: She was raised by a committed Donna Karan fan, and she believes to this day that, despite all the choices out there now, that demographic is underserved on attitude.
“Nobody needs more clothes,” Danan offered. “I’m convinced that we buy clothes for how they make us feel. This woman wants to make a stand when she walks into a room.”
Come fall, the Co base will be able to do that in cashmere flannels, double-faced cashmere, and draped bodysuits that riff on the Karan lexicon. Leather and suede shirts looked like easy updates to existing wardrobes, while a structured new bag in croc-embossed leather nodded to fall’s trend for ladylike accessories. (Tippi Hedren comes to mind.) Almost to a piece, this was a workhorse lineup: Shift dresses, pinstripe jackets, and peacoats conveyed confidence, as did the odd arty flourish; a white-and-brown striped look seemed destined for gallery hopping in sunnier climes. The only thing missing here, as those who already know and shop the brand can attest, was a sense of its true commercial breadth. But Danan is only just getting her bearings. There’s plenty of time for the rest.
