CASUAL
Coconinno: Eva Franco’s Big Change
No casual looks. No casual fabrics. That has been Eva Franco’s modus operandi for 10 years.
She built a reputation for designing an uncompromising look with her self-named Eva Franco line, based in Los Angeles. She sourced high-quality fabric, sometimes at $20 a yard, to make woven dresses that were crafted with a whimsical elegance and a tailored style. This look has attracted buyers from retailers such as Anthropologie.
In 2013, she changed course. Franco introduced Coconinno, a diffusion line with a lower price point. It is made with casual fabrics, yet it still strives for an unconventional, high-minded style.
Trying something new and working with fabrics she had not used in the past was important to her. However, Franco also was looking for a growth vehicle for her self-funded company. While the Eva Franco line has grown steadily in the past decade, she hopes Coconinno will provide fast growth. So far it is off to a good start. After a soft launch in March, it has been picked up by prominent e-commerce retailer ModCloth and about 100 other boutiques.
For her Resort ’14 line, Coconinno offers styles such as the “Dakota” dress. It’s a sweatshirt dress with embroidered cotton and an exposed zipper and wholesales for $58. The “Ginny” and “Emma” dresses feature perforated chiffon lined with a technical fabric called scuba. This fabric serves to give the dress structure. The line’s “Rose” and “Beal” tops, both wholesaling at $38, are made from jersey.
Both Eva Franco and Coconinno are made in America. “It’s my mission to keep jobs in America,” said Franco, who immigrated with her parents from Romania. “It’s why I choose to produce my clothing in Los Angeles. When you’re an immigrant and come to America, you want to give back to a country that has so much freedom and opportunity.”
For more information, contact T. Riddle showroom at (213) 488-3371 or visit www.triddleshowroom.com.
