Who is Frankie? And, why are we obsessed with everything in her shop? Questions that have been at the forefront of our minds for quite some time, and because she's all over our Instagram feed. The it girls are already in the know, like Maria Barteczko and Linda Tol, so it's time for us to catch up, and quickly, before they clear the shop out. We spoke to Gaelle Drevet, founder of Frankie Shop, to get to know the effortlessly chic, Frankie.
Frankie Shop was born in 2014, and unlike many millennial brands who typically start-up online, Frankie kicks it old skool. Gaelle decided to put Frankie on the map with its first physical store in Lower East Side, New York, an area were she used to live herself. She said, the 'neighbourhood has always been close to my heart, I guess it has this eclectic "grits-meets-glam" vibe, it’s not perfect, it’s a “come as you are” kind of place.' A mantra that echoes the pared-back style of a Frankie woman, that was originally influenced by London fashion.
Surprisingly, because the store is impressively curated, Gaelle comes from a background in TV, having previously worked for ABC News as a producer and journalist. Her decision to change careers was triggered by a business trip to London, as she said, 'I've always loved fashion. When I was on assignment in London for long period of times, I discovered the local fashion markets like Portobello, Shoreditch, and all the independent designers that made wonderful things.'
Before Frankie, there was Pixie Market, Gaelle's first fashion venture, that she has now since sold. Keeping the retail location, Frankie Shop moved in, with every intention of making it the 'go-to place for the downtown working girl,' Gaelle said.
Frankie is a woman that borrows a little bit from the boys, she is confident, on the go, she loves effortless pieces with a modern twist
As well as Frankie Shop's own label, it also houses brands such as, Uniform and Nanushka. Gaelle sources for the brand herself, and in turn has given names like our beloved Gannia larger platform. Gaelle has identified who the Frankie woman is by her careful curation, but what does she look for when sourcing? 'I always make sure that all our pieces are wearable and not too complicated but I also like that it has a special detail or a silhouette with a modern twist,' she said. And where is Gaelle finding such gems? 'Instagram is amazing to discover new designers, you can tell so much about a brand by just looking at the images on their feed, but I also check influencers, I look at magazines and traveling helps too,' said Gaelle.
Since the launch in 2014, Gaelle has opened a store in Paris and an online store, of which she said she treats the same as 'they help each other.' Having two stores nearly on the other side of the world from one another, does she cater to the city or is the Frankie Shop woman universal? In short, the answer is no. Gaelle said, 'I know that some silhouettes will be more successful in one store compared to the other, Parisians are a bit more classic for instance but the woman that shops at Frankie is familiar with our aesthetic and that’s what she is looking for.'
Although Frankie Shop stores are based in New York and Paris, this year Gaelle proudly partnered with Selfridges and Instagram for a pop-up in London. Gaelle recalled a personal highlight, 'I finally had the chance to meet Eva Chen.' Her next steps for Frankie are setting up a 'new warehouse based in Europe this spring so shipping will be way cheaper for all our European customers,' said Gaelle. Something that'll make the UK customer very happy indeed, as Frankie Shop quietly infiltrated our wardrobes.
Aspiring to start your own fashion business, here are Gaelle's top three tips:
Have a vision but start small to test how customers react to your product.
Use social media wisely to connect and promote your brand.
Grow organically after you structure your business (wishful thinking).
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