Tavi doing her thang in one of the Wren films. Though Melissa Coker puts together lookbooks for her sweetly fresh line Wren, she’s also gotten into the habit of collaborating with ridiculously buzzy and stylish directors and actresses—Karen Elson! Julia Restoin Roitfeld! Gia Coppola!— to create short films that bring her clothes to life. “It’s a dynamic way to tell the story of the brand. You can really tell a story in a way that a rack of clothes could never,” she explains. Press play on two of Melissa’s most recent movies and get the lowdown on the women who made them. —alisha prakash BEWARE OF YOUNG GIRLS, Fall 2012 The Story: “Sarah Sophie Flicker came up with this concept. There was this Dory Previn song—“Beware of Young Girls”—that was written about Mia Farrow when she stole Woody Allen from her. She wrote this full album that’s amazing and twisted and crazy. Sarah Sophie’s uncle knew Dory Previn, who once sang the song at the dinner table when Sarah Sophie was a young child, so she thought it would be super-cool to use. We also decided that we wanted to do something with Tavi Gevinson. She was cast beforehand and the story was created around her. It’s not a super dance-y film. It’s folksy and dark—which I think brings a nice edge to it.” The Girls: “I reached out Maximilla Lukacs, the director, and Sarah Sophie Flicker was someone that we had worked with before. I really like her aesthetic—I’ve known her personally for a long time. I just like that idea of collaborating with these different groups of females. The styling was done by Leith Clark, who’s the editor of Lula magazine. It’s sixties-inspired, which is the direction Tavi’s personal style is taking at the moment.” WHAT’S UP?, Spring 2012 The Story: “There was something called Carmageddon, where a freeway was going to close down, and everyone was losing their minds because they thought they were going to be trapped in their houses. It was shot that weekend and was inspired by it—you’re trapped in your home, and you’re bored. It’s a spring film—very California, sunlight, and lazy days.” The Girls: “Leith worked on this one as well. I had seen some films Gia Coppola, the director, had made, and I thought she was really great and had a quirky aesthetic that is very Wren. She wrote the story and then cast a family friend to be in it.” To get your hands on the (leading-lady-worthy) edition Melissa made us, click here. You’ll wear these hand-dyed shorts all summer long.

As the designer Melissa Coker sees it, the quintessential Wren girl owns her look. “That’s what I find most exciting—when I see someone, and they’re wearing something I made in a way that I’d never imagine.” To prove her point, Melissa talked three L.A. pals into slipping on the shorts she made for us—hand-dyed by a women’s cooperative in Africa. —alisha prakash Get them now—red or blue!—and wear them your way all summer long. “This is Anna—she’s wearing the shorts with a super-cute, casual twist—maybe you wear this to a movie.” “This is Haley. I like that her outfit is a more unexpected pairing. You get this casual, easy feeling from the shorts combined with something that’s a little bit more polished and structured. It’s an interesting mix, if you’re shopping with your friends or out to dinner.” “This one is worn by a stylist named Sara. She wore it with a sleeveless, oversize button-down, a mesh knit sweater, and a hat. You can wear this look to the farmers’ market or for your weekend errands in the city. We have beach looks and city looks!”