EMERGING DESIGNER

Melissa Coker

IN THIS FEATURE: Meet Melissa Fashion Focus

he started in fashion almost by accident reveals Wren founder, Melissa Coker. But with a history that runs the industry gamut, from interning at Helmut Lang to working in editorial at W and Vogue to trend forecaster for Abercrombie & Fitch, it's clear that Coker's interests have been leading her to one destination: her own line.

Much like Coker's meandering yet also directional history, the evolution of Wren could be seen as an accident, albeit an informed and auspicious one. Wren's range of pieces resounds with quiet, parlor-suited elegance that strikes notes of whimsy with ease and poise.

Named after Dickens' Jenny Wren, a crippled doll dressmaker with a pure heart, Coker says the line is "prone to a bit of subtle, old-world romanticism, and the name befits that feeling." Hand-dyed embellished T-shirts, silk dresses, and vintage-inspired necklaces create a low-key sophistication that Coker views as practical for "girls on the move."