Nestled in the heart of the fourth arrondissement, Tanner Fletcher’s Parisian showroom sits between rainbow-painted crosswalks and lace-laden window displays. Cozy racks full of statement sleeves, bows, and brooches (yes, I wholeheartedly believe they started the brooch blazer trend) fill the space with a wonderful mix of chic playfulness. During Paris Fashion Week, founders Tanner Richie and Fletcher Kasell graciously invited us to try on some samples and take a peek into their wonderfully busy world. While our time in Paris was fleeting, we felt especially fortunate that Fletcher made the time to sit down with us (Tanner had to pop out due to a Fashion Week emergency).
Miia Popovics: So I want to start by asking about the choice to have showrooms in Paris. As you said, it’s your third year here. And I want to know, especially in this spot, why Paris? What feels like home here?
Fletcher Kasell: It’s actually our fourth season doing Paris, the third time in this very space. I feel like the choice was pretty easy because the European buyers and Asian buyers don’t really come to New York Fashion Week. I think New York Fashion Week is a little less busy because Paris is the crossroads of fashion. At first, we were a little nervous. We were like, is it even worth paying the price of the flights? Are we going to make any sales? And it turned out well.
We started by breaking even with the trip to Paris, and we were fine with that. And now we’ve gained a lot of clients from it. It’s fun to be a part of it. It’s fun to show up and go to the Fashion Week parties or go to the dinners, and you also see a lot of other Americans here. So it’s fun to kind of see everybody in a different setting. But we have to keep doing Paris. It’s just kind of part of it.
MP: Is there a plan for global expansion in the future, permanent storefronts?
FK: Yeah, definitely. That’s pretty long-term, pretty far out. I would start with one storefront, probably New York, but definitely. I mean, the overall goal with the brand is to be more of a household name. We don’t want to be massive, but commercial enough where we can have global stores. So yeah, one day for sure.
Haley Rogers: It hasn’t been very long since you guys created your brand, and I feel like it was a quick expansion. I mean, you have a cult following. What is the biggest difference between when you started and now? What has changed for you and your process since the beginning?
FK: I think we’ve learned a lot. I think that’s what happens when you throw yourself into something. Neither Tanner or I went to design school, neither of us really sketch, and Tanner only sews a little bit. So we really went in blind. So, I think our confidence has gone up a lot just from learning the process and also being validated. It’s really scary at first. So, I think we were in a place of almost insecurity. Like, are people going to adapt to this? Are people gonna like it? I feel like, as a creative, there’s a lot of self-judgment that happens.
So, I think the process for me has gotten easier because I’ve learned to let that go. Even at the beginning, when we were meeting with buyers, we really took advice from them, which you have to do, but we found we were taking too much advice from them. We were like, tell us what to do, and we’ll do it. That wasn’t a good choice; we found that the collection was lacking. It didn’t really have our personality in it. So we were like, let’s just do our things, stay confident in ourselves, and that’s been really helpful. So now I feel like I’m a lot more calm, I’m less worried about what people think, and I’m here. I’ve got my stuff, and it’s good.
MP: I think as creatives, especially students, a lot of us struggle with comparing ourselves to each other or worrying about how we’re perceived. Do you have any tips on how to deal with that, being where you are now?
FK: Yeah, Tanner and I were just talking about this. It still happens to us. It’s hard to get rid of as creatives, especially because we’re so sensitive. But I feel like you just have to keep reassuring yourself of your value, and when you find yourself comparing, you have to remember that everybody has their own pathway. Everybody has their own timeline. You also don’t know what’s happening in anybody else’s story. I think you have to remember that most comparisons are made up in your head. A healthy level of comparison is fine, but anything beyond that is not helpful.
MP: You’re a brand that has such a strong commitment to vintage, inclusivity, and just… being yourself. In a time where sometimes I feel like we’re pulling away from that, of being less inclusive and less sustainable, I wonder if you feel the effects at all.
FK: Not really. I feel like I’m hoping it’s going in the opposite direction. I hope that more people feel the effects of authenticity. With the buyer, who was just in here, we were saying it’s all about the vibes. When somebody’s authentically themselves, or when a brand is authentically themselves, it’s just natural. It’s easy. You don’t have to try. You’re doing a lot less comparing. It’s easy, and that’s what we keep pushing. That’s what we do with our casting. We streetcast our whole show practically, and it’s all on personality, that’s all we’re looking at.
MP: That’s so perfect. That makes me so happy.
HR: Before, you said you are both big thrifters. Would you say when you are thrifting, you find inspiration for future collections?
FK: Yeah, yeah, absolutely. Like, fully. Tanner and I started funding the brand by actually buying and reselling clothes, vintage clothes, and designer clothes. So, if you’re familiar with New York at all, we’d go to Beacon’s Closet. We’d go to Second Street, Crossroads, all the different kinds of thrift stores, and we’d look for garments that we love, that we are inspired by. We kind of have an archive of things we love. But then, in the meantime, we’d also be buying things that sell, and we’d resell them on Poshmark and eBay, and we’d use the profits to fund our business. So, it’s really woven into the identity of the brand.
So yeah, to answer your question, we get a lot of inspiration from vintage clothes. We weren’t trained in design, so even just feeling fabrics, noticing how belt loops are attached, noticing how zippers are done, or being like, ‘I didn’t even know this sort of rivet on jeans existed. How can we find something like this?’ It was kind of our source. Rather than going around the garment district and shopping around, it was more like we’re seeing all these garments. We have them easily accessible to us. So here’s what we should use.
MP: It feels so much more real and authentic that way rather than just taking information from buyers or the industry directly. I know we talked earlier about the differences between New York and Paris, specifically for buying and fashion week, but when you first came here, coming from New York, were there any major adjustments that you had to make?
FK: I don’t necessarily think in terms of work, or in terms of the brand. Neither Tanner or I had ever been to Europe before, so it was more like a culture shock, more like getting used to the culture and French people and the vibe. This is our fifth time ever being in Paris, and I think I’m finally just feeling like I’m getting the hang of it. I feel comfortable here. I don’t feel like I’m in some outlandish place.
MP: Our contributors and our board really appreciate you being you, both of you, and you always have such distinct but cohesive concepts for your collections. I was wondering, do you always go through the creative process that same way, or does inspiration come to you in a different way?
FK: It’s a little bit of both. I feel like we have this recipe that we use. We always tell people we design a collection like we decorate a room. If you imagine yourself redecorating your living room, you’re not going to change everything. You’re not going to throw everything out and just bring everything new in. So if you’re moving into fall, you might put plaid throw pillows out, or put a fur blanket on the end of your bed, and maybe bring the color red into it. That’s kind of what we do for the collections. It really starts with color, and then we’re like, ‘What prints are we gravitating towards this season? How do we build it into our existing skeleton, our existing recipe?’ We like to reuse a lot of our silhouettes, which is really helpful. I think our customers get used to the silhouette, so then when it’s offered in a new color, or you add a ruffle trim to the collar, they’re like, I know this fits me. I can easily buy it again.
I would say the collection itself stays the same, but where things change is the theme of the show or the creative direction of the lookbook. So it’s really based on our mood, it’s what’s happening in our lives. This last show was called “The Artist’s Dilemma”, and it was because Tanner and I have way too many ideas, and we almost got overwhelmed. We were like, ‘We can’t make choices. We can’t do all of the things that we want to do all at one time.’ It’s hard to say, ‘Oh, this has to wait.’ We love so many ideas, and it’s hard to decide. So, that was kind of what came out with this collection. Like, this ball gown in the window, we had so many ideas. So, we put ruffles on the dress. We had it half hanging off. There’s a bow in the back, half of the skirt is pulled up, and the tulle is exposed. It’s a lot of ideas all in one, and then we did a shirt version where the two shoulders are different, the two cuffs are different, there’s a ruffle hanging off, and all the buttons are mismatched.
MP: Okay, one last thing. Is there anything that you could maybe tease coming up in the near future?
FK: I honestly don’t have anything to tease, but I don’t even know what’s happening next week. Let me think a little. Is there something happening? Oh, there is, there is something happening. We had a really big celebrity confirm that she’s wearing one of our dresses in her music video, and she herself teased the piece on her Instagram. There’s a tiny little piece of collar showing on her Instagram, and I won’t give the name away.
MP: We’ll keep an eye out. That’s perfect. Well, thank you so much.
HR: Thank you so much.
FK: Yeah, thank you guys.
It’s not every day you get a peek into the behind-the-scenes of such a stand-out brand, especially one as genuinely trailblazing as Tanner Fletcher. As two Americans in Paris speaking with another one-on-one, our conversation was nothing short of curious, lovely, and revelatory. Tanner Fletcher is truly making waves in sustainability, inclusivity, and authenticity, and as we stepped out of the taupe-trimmed storefront, we were left with incredible inspiration and a dazzling sense of hope. So, to any and all creatives who need to hear it, remember yourself and don’t be afraid to redecorate.
Words by Miia Popovics and Haley Rogers
Graphics by Eve Friday