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Designer Interview Series: Melissa Coker of Wren

Melissa Coker, a Lake Forest, Illinois native, founded her line, Wren, in 2007. The line is named for Jenny Wren, a character from Charles Dickens’ Our Mutual Friend. Jenny Wren served as the first muse for the label and its dedication to perfect imperfection. This is a notion that we at Art in the Age completely understand, celebrate, and appreciate! We are honored and excited to present a closer look at Melissa’s line…

Melissa Coker, portrait

So we both got our names from literary works. Pretty rad, huh?!
I LOVE the history of your name. It was a pleasure reading Walter Benjamin as, I too, often find myself lamenting the loss of the aura.

What is it about Jenny Wren from Our Mutual Friend that clicked with you?
She is this almost gothic, victorian little creature who makes dresses for dolls. I just loved the idea of this winsome thing with such a dark side. It was the contrast there that I found really appealing. 

 illustration of Jenny Wren

When you were a child, did you make dresses for your dolls?
I didn’t, I was more into doing their hair and decorating their living spaces.

Besides Dickens novels, where do you draw inspiration from?
Generally, friends, films, people on the street, old photographs. Lately it’s been movies like Therese and Isabelle, The Twilight Girls and It Happened One Night, the Alexa Chungs of the world and Gidget with Sally Field.

Alexa Chung in a Wren Fall 09 dress

How do you choose your fabrics?
Sometimes I’ll have something in particular in mind that I really want (for spring 10 it was clean, light-colored denim). Those are generally the easiest. Otherwise, I go on loads and loads of appointments with fabric mills, visit fabric fairs, and occasionally develop things based on vintage pieces I’ve found. I know I’ve found something when I see a fabric and get excited, like that I-have-to-have-that feeling

Do you recall the first garment you ever made?
The first thing I ever made personally was this sexy, drapey tank that I made from a men’s crew neck tee shirt.  The first thing I made for wren was a full, high-waisted mini skirt that I still LOVE and ADORE.  It is actually the one item that I’ve made in one form or another every season.  It’s called the Michalyn skirt and is named after a friend of mine who offered loads of helpful advice and guidance in the very beginning days of wren.

When did you know you wanted to be a fashion designer?
Actually, it was after I was already making clothes.  I started out making a few things for myself that I wanted but couldn’t find in the market.  At the end of that little exercise, I had a small collection on my hands rather than the odd piece here and there.  I decided to show the things to a local store, they bought everything, and wren/my career as a fashion designer was born.

What’s been your biggest success?
I’m always thrilled to see people wearing wren, whether it’s a celebrity or a stranger on the street.

Alexa Chung in a Wren Fall 09 Sweater

How do you relate to Art in the Age/its philosophy?
For one, all wren garments are hand-made, hand-screened or hand-loomed locally in downtown los angeles.   Each graphic used in the line is a piece of original artwork created by a small group of artists and printmakers. All items in the line are produced in small runs, the production of which is loving watched over and guided step by step through the process by one individual person, me!

What are your thoughts on mass production?
It makes me sad, actually. The idea of all this stuff being produced and put into the world without much thought about things such as the impact it may have. The mindless, wastefulness.  

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Thanks again Melissa, for taking the time to share more about Wren! Please be on the lookout for new Wren items on our online store, coming soon…
For now, have a peek at these two Wren rompers (Safari & Lola) from Spring/Summer…

Designer Interview Series is a new Blog feature in which Art in the Age buyer Melanie reveals the person or team behind an Art in the Age curated brand…through exclusive interviews! Tune in again next week for more…