Gaëlle, the designer has an eye like no other for innovative social first designs
Net-A-Porter’s Senior Fashion Market Editor Libby Page, as quoted on HypeBae
While Gaëlle Drevet was working as a journalist for ABC News New York, the idea for her future shops emerged. She was not in the fashion world herself, but she remembered loving watching fashion shows. She had developed her own sense of style that was not well reflected in the offerings surrounding her. Describing her style as modern minimalist and “sporty chic,” she knew that she had a particular perspective and voice that should be shared with the world.
Upon leaving the world of journalism, she started her foray in to fashion with Pixie Market. She would then later branch off to create The Frankie Shop. It began with a physical location in New York’s Lower East Side and later a location in Paris. The Frankie Shop became know as the it location to get cool and indie brands that would later blossom in their own right. In curating the store, Drevet kept in mind the modern woman, one who wanted to look luxe but at a more affordable price. Now The Frankie Shop stocks its own designs alongside other lines. The house line is know for its cool, comfortable aesthetic, bolstered by the appeal of t-shirts and tanks with padded shoulders and the edge of its tomboyish style.
A lot of the brands success has been driven by the online space. While the launch of an online shop was a boon, social media has also played a role. Customers began sharing their looks, encouraging others to check out the brand. This helped many be able to visualize how they themselves might style the products. The Frankie Shop also works directly with influencers and promotes their images on its own pages.
The pieces are now also being sold via luxury retailers, such as Net-A-Porter. Drevet sees the partnership as helpful not only in improving their reach globally but also elevating the prestige of the brand because of the site’s own luxury focus.
Rather than taking advantage of this height of popularity and going full force in to creating bigger store spaces and entering into more partnerships, they have made the decision to take things slow and be more strategic about how they grow. This involved taking into account the many men who were already shopping their pieces and the oversized silhouette it was already known for. The most direction of the brand is the debut of a men’s and unisex line at Paris Fashion Week. In Paris, these pieces will be sold at the shop’s old location, with the women’s wear moving to a new site across the street. Stateside, this new direction will only be available online until the expansion of the New York location is complete.
You can buy The Frankie Shop pieces online at their own site, Net-A-Porter, Mytheresa, and Farfetch.
Let me know. What did you already know about this brand? Are there important details I missed?
References
Caruso, Lauren. (February 5, 2019). Gaelle Drevet’s Store Is On Every Fashion Girl’s Radar — And These Are The Items She Covets Most. The Zoe Report. https://www.thezoereport.com/p/gaelle-drevet-owner-of-the-frankie-shop-covets-accessories-that-are-over-the-top-fabulous-15923794
Northman, Tora. (September 2, 2020). The Frankie Shop Is Instagram’s Favorite Label. HypeBae. https://hypebae.com/2020/9/the-frankie-shop-gaelle-drevet-founder-interview-instagram-fashion-label
Nurick, Jen. (October 28, 2019). The Frankie Shop founder is the woman behind every outfit you’ve ever liked on Instagram. Vogue Australia. https://www.vogue.com.au/fashion/trends/the-frankie-shop-founder-is-the-woman-behind-every-outfit-youve-ever-liked-on-instagram/news-story/515b58d9841844460080661426805cd9
Pola, Louise. (March 5, 2020). 5 questions à : Gaëlle Drevet, The Frankie Shop. Milk Magazine. https://www.milkmagazine.net/5-questions-a-the-frankie-shop/
Wynne, Alex. (January 23, 2022). The Frankie Shop Goes Coed. WWD. https://wwd.com/fashion-news/fashion-scoops/frankie-shop-goes-co-ed-1235047772/
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