Stephanie Danan couldn’t have picked a finer day for her first presentation in Paris: sunlight poured into the showroom overlooking the Tuileries Garden, where she unveiled Co’s fall collection with a small runway show.
“I built this brand 15 years ago, so this is a big moment,” the label’s founder and creative director said backstage.
Having moved to the French capital from Los Angeles last year, she’s been working to put the Californian label on the map in her new home. Consider this an official introduction.
The minimal-chic lineup was rooted in elevated staples, like utilitarian gray flannel shirt jackets and skirts, barrel-leg black leather pants and buttery suede separates.
“I’ve been growing towards wardrobing, but always with an element of distinction, because there’s so much wardrobing out there in the world right now,” she said. “So it’s, ‘How do I make a woman feel incredible?’”
Danan, who cites Donna Karan as a role model, worked ’80s-inflected looks, such as shawl-collared suede jackets with loose pleated pants, or draped jersey bodysuits.
Some verged on the ludicrously capacious, like the gray cashmere overcoat with a sculpted collar that brought to mind a different fashion trailblazer, Pierre Cardin.
More compelling were her sensuous jersey dresses with plunging necklines, paired with elongated suit jackets. It was the sort of thing you could picture Carolyn Bessette Kennedy wearing if she were alive today.
With backing from Paul Marciano, Danan is looking to establish a retail foothold in Europe. This polished debut suggested the future’s looking bright.
