Co Spring 2018 Ready-To-Wear...Fashionweekly...On Fow24news.com

Co designers Stephanie Danan and Justin Kern might be from Los Angeles, but their idea of SoCal style has nothing to do with yoga pants and sneakers. Instead, they make clothes that manage to combine elegance and ease in a way that recalls the Old Hollywood stars of yesteryear. This season, the couple expanded their repertoire of romantic ’40s- and ’30s-inspired cocktail dresses to encompass the red carpet....

In their hands, the classic black evening gown took on a grown-up sense of drama, a refreshing departure from the attention-grabbing slashed-to-there looks that tend to dominate the celebrity spotlight. In fact, it’s easy to imagine an intelligent beauty like Cate Blanchett stepping her best foot forward in Co’s new puff-sleeved black dress that’s belted and cut with a gently ruffled asymmetrical hemline.

Danan cited Bob Fosse’s classic musical dance movie All That Jazz as a reference, and professional dancers took the place of models in the brand’s lookbook, including New York City Ballet ballerina Janie Taylor. There was a newfound lightness and movement to the clothes that have tended toward elaborate and heavy in seasons past. Even the more rarefied fabrics, including one pretty plissé dévoré velvet dress, had a weightlessness about them.

That unfussy approach to sophistication was evident on the more casual end of Co’s offering as well. The pair has been honing its take on the classic blue jean for the last couple of years, and have recently turned their attention to nailing the look of the denim dress. With its puff sleeves and circle-skirt silhouette, their version for Spring 2018 had the same romantic energy as the new eveningwear. And with a full range of handbags and shoes that toe the line between practical and chic—think, hands-free shoulder bags and comfy midi-heel slingbacks—they’re clearly giving the West Coast affection for athleisure a run for its money.