From Paris To The World Stage: Frankie Shop Is Redefining Fashion

Before the term “quiet luxury” entered the chat (and took over social feeds and magazine spreads), Frankie Shop had already defined the fashion movement.

The difference between the two? Quiet luxury is on the decline (fading into a whisper), while the Frankie Shop’s star is only rising.

Frankly — to founder Gaëlle Drevet — the Frankie Shop’s essence is about cultivating personal style and expressing oneself accordingly.

It’s not about being the loudest in the room, but rather about being confident, unapologetic and knowing who you are. It’s an attitude of owning it.

(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 Vogue, as one of the world’s “35 Women Dressing Women.”)

“The goal is to remain true to yourself,” Drevet affirms. “Don’t try to look like someone else. You won’t be able to walk comfortably or stand tall in a look that isn’t authentically you.”

With a penchant for doing away with logos, the Frankie Shop’s aesthetic leans into minimalism, while creating maximum buzz.

Launched by journalist-turned-entrepreneur Drevet in 2014, the retailer has gained a cult following thanks to its signature ‘French chic’ allure, celebrity fans (including Rihanna, Hailey Bieber, Khalid, and Jennifer Lawrence), and items that sell out the minute they’re restocked. (More on its “back in stock” phenomenon, below.)

In 2022, it launched its men’s and gender-neutral lines, reaffirming its inclusive ethos. Frankie does it all and for everyone.

With all eyes on Paris this summer, the brand cemented its place in culture and on the world stage by being among the fifteen French fashion designers enlisted to dress performers at the Paris Olympics Games’ opening ceremony. (Quite an accolade considering Paris is home to many heritage designer brands.)

A decade since launching and introducing ‘effortless cool’ style to a generation of editors and fashion lovers, the Frankie Shop proves that it’s Frankie’s world — and we’re all just living in it.

While fashion was awash in Barbiecore pink last summer, Frankie fans leaned into their own aesthetic.

Between its signature Eva T-shirt (a tank top with shoulder pads that debuted in 2019) and iconic boyfriend blazers (since 2017), the brand embraces both masculin and féminin.

“You’ve got to take risks to be fashionable,” Drevet continues. “You’ve got to believe that adding these big shoulder pads is actually a timeless modern twist on a T-shirt. As Camille Charrière said, the ‘Eva’ is ‘the blazer of a T shirt.’”

It’s the masculin-féminin style that would have been portrayed in Greta Gerwig’s Barbie, but in the scenes where Margot Robbie’s Barbie lives in the real world — firmly removed from the male gaze but rather dressing for herself.

“Fashion is full of paradox and contradictions,” Drevet asserts. “If you want to summarize Frankie Shop, it’s modern and timeless at the same time. Cosmopolitan and universal. Done and undone. Paris and New York — a tale of two cities. Masculin and féminin. So we try to balance all these contradictions.”

Drevet adds another fashion tip to her list, when it comes to adopting trends: “Never say never.”

Today, fans can shop for fashion, lifestyle and home at two New York City locations — one in its original Lower East Side store and a second flagship in SoHo, in addition to its Parisian boutiques (one for men and one for women). It also headed to Los Angeles for a limited time, with its “Frankie Shop Goes To Hollywood” art installation pop-up on Sunset Boulevard, in March. (With Demi Moore as the face of the campaign.)

Last year, the Frankie Shop added another new stop to its roster: a pop-up space in London’s renowned Selfridges department store.

With its sights set on global expansion — in an intentional, strategic way — Drevet stays the course when it comes to her vision of remaining a global, yet niche brand. (Another paradox.)

It’s about striking a balance between remaining niche while still resonating with customers worldwide — with a firm stance on not being available at too many retailers, on a wholesale level (and keeping its collections at stockists limited and edited). Currently, select Frankie pieces can be found at top luxury department stores across Europe, as well as global e-tailers like SSENSE and Farfetch.

“It’s important to curate desirability in some way. If you’re everywhere, you’re diluting the brand and become a bit more disposable,” Drevet shares.

While global accessibility and recognition are critical to the brand, Drevet doubles down on the magic of people visiting the Frankie Shop boutiques to be immersed in its universe.

Drevet leads with intuition and curiosity — “I’m very curious and very nosy,” as she puts it — two traits that have served her as an investigative journalist during the first part of her career. As a storyteller, branding and images play a key role in her strategic mind.

One thing the brand’s customers have learned to anticipate is its “back in stock” strategy, which isn’t so much a strategy but more of a system that ensures Frankie fans await a Saturday morning email (at 9:30am EST), signaling the in-demand pieces that are back in stock.

“I test things first. I don’t overbuy, I don’t overproduce. So at first, I’ll buy a small quantity of an item and then see if people really like it.”

It’s a form of producing on-demand: As soon as they notice an item is selling out and has a long waitlist, they’ll reorder it.

“I’m actually trying to make sure you get what you really want. In some ways, I’m giving you the time to think about your purchase by signing up for a restock. There’s no better feeling than actually scooping up an item you’ve been waiting for.”

For her, momentum is important when it comes to both fashion and being part of the cultural conversation. “I drive my team crazy with momentum!”

After all, it’s important to ride the wave of trends while they’re hot. Riding the current to remain au courant.

Frankie defines the moment, creating a splash by joining the conversation — like it did with last year’s “I Wish You Well” T-shirt collaboration with artist Thomas Lélu (a nod to the infamous Gwyneth Paltrow trial in 2023). It’s subversive, subtly snarky, yet speaks volumes about how the Frankie Shop’s finger remains on the pulse of pop culture.

There’s an ‘if you know you know’ sensibility around everything The Frankie Shop sells, creates and launches. The brand is like a co-conspirator in the conversation — always with a wink — and ensures we’re all in on the punchline too.

“So yes, it’s fashion, but guess what, there are bigger problems in the world. And also, you need to have a good sense of humor and not take yourself too seriously. There needs to be a touch of irreverence in your daily life.”

As for contradictions, it’s worth adding these to the store locations: aspirational and cool, yet also warm and inviting.

“I’ve always wanted Frankie to be a gathering place for people. It’s not people with money, it’s about being reachable. I made sure we would share images that people could relate to on our social. It could be them, it could be me. It’s not just about celebrities, VIPs, influencers, it’s about everyone — everyone that loves fashion.”