Identical twins Corianna and Brianna Dotson, or “Coco” and “Breezy,” respectively, make up the duo behind their namesake eyewear label, Coco and Breezy. Equal parts edgy and fun with a hint of youthful irreverence, it’s perhaps no surprise that their singular shades (particularly the hand-studded ones) are coveted by stars like Rihanna, Nicki Minaj, Lady Gaga, and Kelly Osbourne.
Now based in Bushwick, Brooklyn, the designers grew up in the suburbs of Apple Valley, Minnesota, working two jobs each at the Mall of America. “Our parents allowed us to be very expressive with our clothes, and we got a lot of stares for it,” Brianna tells Style.com. “People would make fun of us, so we would hide behind sunglasses—they gave us a level of confidence that we never had.” The pair slowly but surely began to produce their own range of aplomb-inducing shades, and after a trip to New York in 2009, they knew the Big Apple was the right place for their operation.
Under the mentorship of eyewear expert Selima Salaun, the sisters have steadily grown their business. And their glasses—all of which are designed, developed, and produced in-house—have already been picked up by retailers like Oak and Patricia Field, among others.
Dubbed Translucent Creatures, their Spring ’14 range was inspired by the architectural landscape of NYC. “We’re artists first,” Corianna says, “so we love to take our life experiences and surrounding environments as inspiration; we don’t look at fashion.” Next season, the girls plan to incorporate their artwork onto the insides of their frames, and launch men’s styles. Down the line, they’re hoping to expand into optical glasses. But no matter how their business fares, they’re just happy to have come this far. As Brianna puts it, “It’s beautiful to know that we turned our insecurities and being bullied into a positive thing.”
—Elizabeth L. Peng
Photos: Courtesy of Coco & Breezy
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