Gaelle Drevet, Photo credit: Courtesy of An-Hao Chang
Before the term “quiet luxury” was on everyone’s lips (and conquered social feeds and magazines), Frankie Shop had already shaped the fashion movement.
The difference between the two? Quiet luxury is on the decline (fading to a whisper), while the Frankie Shop’s star is just beginning to rise.
For founder Gaëlle Drevet, the essence of Frankie Shop is honestly about developing a personal style and expressing yourself accordingly.
It’s not about being the loudest person in the room, it’s about being confident, uncompromising and knowing who you are. It’s about the attitude of standing up for yourself.
(Take it from Drevet, who has earned her status as one of the women at the forefront of fashion today. She was featured in the March issue of Fashion, as one of the “35 Women Dressing Women” in the world.)
“The goal is to be true to yourself,” Drevet says. “Don’t try to look like someone else. You won’t be able to walk comfortably or stand up straight if you wear a look that doesn’t authentically suit you.”
With a penchant for avoiding logos, Frankie Shop’s aesthetic tends toward minimalism while ensuring maximum excitement.
Founded in 2014 by journalist-turned-entrepreneur Drevet, the retailer has gained cult status thanks to its signature “French chic” charm, celebrity fans (including Rihanna, Hailey Bieber, Khalid and Jennifer Lawrence) and items that sell out as soon as they’re back in stock. (Read more about the “back in stock” phenomenon below.)
In 2022, the company launched its men’s and gender-neutral line, reaffirming its inclusive ethos. Frankie makes everything, for everyone.
While all eyes were on Paris this summer, the brand cemented its place in the culture and on the world stage by being among the fifteen French fashion designers tapped to dress the performers at the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympic Games. (Quite an accolade considering Paris is home to many heritage designer brands.)
A decade after it launched and introduced “effortlessly cool” style to a generation of editors and fashion fans, the Frankie Shop proves that this is Frankie’s world – and we all just live in it.
While fashion last summer reveled in Barbiecore pink, Frankie fans gave free rein to their own aesthetic.
With the signature Eva T-shirt (a tank top with shoulder pads that was launched in 2019) and the iconic boyfriend blazers (since 2017), the brand combines both masculine And female.
“To be fashionable, you have to take risks,” continues Drevet. “You have to believe that these big shoulder pads actually give a T-shirt a timelessly modern touch. As Camille Charrière said, ‘Eva’ is ‘the blazer of a T-shirt.'”
It is the Male Female Style that is reminiscent of Greta Gerwig’s Barbiebut in the scenes in which Margot Robbie’s Barbie lives in the real world – free from the male gaze, but dressing for herself.
Gaelle Drevet, founder of The Frankie Shop, photo credit: Keetja Allard
“Fashion is full of paradoxes and contradictions,” says Drevet. “If you want to sum up Frankie Shop, it is modern and timeless at the same time. Cosmopolitan and universal. Finished and unfinished. Paris and New York – a story of two cities. Masculine and feminine. So we try to balance all these contradictions.”
Drevet adds another fashion tip to her list when it comes to embracing trends: “Never say never.”
Today, fans can shop fashion, lifestyle and home furnishings at two locations in New York City – one at the original store on the Lower East Side and a second flagship store in SoHo, in addition to the Paris boutiques (one for men and one for women).. In March, the brand also made a brief appearance in Los Angeles, where it presented a pop-up art installation on Sunset Boulevard called “Frankie Shop Goes To Hollywood.” (With Demi Moore as the face of the campaign.)
Last year, Frankie Shop added another new stop to its roster: a pop-up space in London’s prestigious department store Selfridges.
By aiming for global expansion – in a targeted, strategic way – Drevet remains true to its vision of remaining a global, yet niche brand. (Another paradox.)
It’s about finding a balance between remaining niche and still resonating with customers worldwide – with a firm stance of not being available at too many retailers at a wholesale level (and keeping collections limited and curated at the stockists). Currently, select Frankie pieces are available at the best luxury department stores across Europe, as well as global e-tailers such as SSENSE and Farfetch..
“It’s important to increase the appeal in some way. If you’re everywhere, you dilute the brand and become a bit more expendable,” explains Drevet.
While global accessibility and awareness are crucial for the brand, Drevet is increasingly relying on the magic of the people who visit the Frankie Shop boutiques and immerse themselves in his universe.
Drevet operates with intuition and curiosity – “I’m very curious and very inquisitive,” as she puts it – two qualities that helped her in the first part of her career as an investigative journalist. As a storyteller, brands and images play a key role in her strategic thinking.
The brand’s customers have learned to wait for the brand’s “back in stock” strategy, which is less of a strategy and more of a system that ensures Frankie fans wait for an email on Saturday morning (at 9:30 a.m. EST) telling them which in-demand pieces are back in stock.
“I test things first. I don’t buy too much and I don’t produce too much. So I buy a small amount of an item first and then see if people really like it.”
It is a form of production on demand: as soon as they notice that an item is sold out and there is a long waiting list, they reorder it.
“I try to make sure you get what you Really want. In a way, I’m giving you time to think about your purchase by signing up for a backorder. There’s no better feeling than actually getting your hands on an item you’ve been waiting for.”
For her, dynamism is important, both in terms of fashion and being part of the cultural dialogue. “With dynamism, I drive my team crazy!”
Finally, it is important to ride the wave of trends while they are hot. Ride the wave to stay current.
Frankie defines the moment and creates buzz by joining the conversation—like last year’s “I Wish You Well” t-shirt collaboration with artist Thomas Lélu (a nod to Gwyneth Paltrow’s infamous 2023 trial). It’s subversive, subtly snarky, but speaks volumes about how the Frankie Shop has its finger on the pulse of pop culture.
There’s a sense of “if you know, you know” in everything The Frankie Shop sells, makes and brings to market. The brand is like a co-conspirator in the conversation – always with a wink – making sure we all get the punch line.
“Yes, it’s fashion, but you know what? There are bigger problems in the world. Also, you have to have a good sense of humor and not take yourself too seriously. There has to be a touch of irreverence in your daily life.”
As for contradictions, it is worth adding them to store locations: sophisticated and cool, but also warm and inviting.
“I always wanted Frankie to be a meeting place for people. It’s not about people with money, it’s about being accessible. I made sure that on our social media we share images that people can identify with. That could be them, that could be me. It’s not just about celebrities, VIPs, influencers, it’s about everyone – everyone who loves fashion.”
