Frankie B. Biography

Frankie B.'s Biography

In business, as in life, some prefer the high road and some prefer the low. Frankie B. owner and designer Daniella Clarke chose the latter with her low-rise, trendsetting jeans and built a fashion empire based on denim and the humble butt-crack. But, while backdoor cleavage may have been the beginning of Frankie B., it certainly won't be its end.

Married to rock guitarist Gilby Clarke, and mother of daughter Frankie, the titular inspiration behind her Frankie B. logo, Daniella Clarke started cutting the waist bands off of her jeans when she was still a teenager.

Then, rock and roll style was confined mainly to rock musicians and high-school students, but the trinity of sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll has since been amended. Fashion is the world's new addiction, and in Frankie B. Clarke has created a lifestyle collection that brings rock and roll chic to the masses.

The original impetus for Frankie B., the mustard seed that became a mighty corporate tree, occurred when Clarke returned home from four years on the road with her musician husband. Taking her cue from the rock-hippie style of the late '60's and early '70's, Clarke began working from her garage, starting initially with a line of sexy, low-slung, boot cut denim jeans named after her main source of inspiration, daughter Frankie.

Denim has always been a passion for Daniella, who is widely credited as sparking the low-rise craze. "I always had fantasies about what I'd like to wear and how I'd like the fit to be," Clarke says. "Jeans make a woman feel sexy, strong, feminine, and casual, all at the same time and are now a staple of most women's wardrobes, not a trendy item that becomes obsolete after a season."

"The Frankie B. woman is someone who likes to have fun with her wardrobe," the designer adds, "mixing colors, styles and textures to look fresh and modern, with a slight sense of history. I've always enjoyed looking at women like Stevie Nicks, women with strong, idiosyncratic style and seeing how they make everything truly their own."

Frankie B.has expanded exponentially since its humble garage origins to become a full lifestyle brand. For Spring '04, Clarke delivered a collection inspired by freedom and femininity. For Fall/Winter '04, she ups the ante with a 21st Century redo of the classic sex-kitten. Clarke's take is decidedly luxurious and modern, utilizing silk charmeuse and silk and wool blends to put a fresh spin on a timeless look.

While designing this collection, she reveals,"I kept thinking about girls like Edie Sedgwick and Patti Hansen who could fall asleep wearing diamonds and a full face of make-up and still wake-up looking chic." The result is a sexy, casual meld that evokes the essence of the sexy, contemporary woman, without sacrificing the emphasis on the body that Frankie B. si renowned for.

The Frankie B. collection is available worldwide, and has grown to incorporate menswear, knitwear, and eyewear, with additional categories promised in the near future. From humble origins to global domination, Frankie B. is an idea whose time has come. Like Coco Chanel in another era, Daniella Clarke started with a winning idea and built an empire. There is no end in sight. Read more...

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