Novel Fashion

Does the world really need another cutesy fashion label specializing in party frocks and girly garb? Well, yes. And its name is Wren. Launched a year ago by 28-year-old designer Melissa Coker, the brand's intrigue starts with its name, which pays homage to a character from a Charles Dickens novel.

"She has always represented this dark, slightly tarnished... aesthetic which I love," muses Coker, referring to the character of Jenny Wren from Dickens's Our Mutual Friend; this is interesting, as the label's bejeweled T-shirts, brocaded miniskirts and hand-painted silk dresses are evocative of anything but the Victorian Gothic styles worn by the crippled dressmaker heroine in that novel.

Coker, an Illinois native who now calls California home and who once entertained notions of pursuing a career in archaeology or floristry, has created a line that reflects stints at Helmut Lang and Abercrombie & Fitch, as well as at publications including W and Vogue. At the design desk of her Silver Lake studio, where she draws influence from women such as Anaïs Nin and her new style icon, Liz Goldwyn ("I'm really into her aesthetic and I totally love her look!"), Coker says she works hard to understand her target market. The Los Angeles fashion pack and actress Michelle Williams appear to appreciate this attribute, judging by their outstanding support.

Coker is currently gearing up for a Fall-Winter collection inspired by Crowley-esque mystic decadence, vintage sequins, and Sergei Diaghilev and the Ballets Russes. Complete with an assortment of cashmere sweaters and trousers, the collection evokes Coker's sentimental vision of the ultimate can-do girl. Dickens would be proud.