Of Two Minds: A Singular Vision
Launching for Spring 2010, Of Two Minds hopes to fill every need in a certain girl’s closet. Designed by Desanka Fasiska, whose eponymous contemporary line earned her a reputation as one of Los Angeles’ up-and-coming designers, and Stephanie Tran, who designed the A Common Thread contemporary line, the new contemporary collection melds both designers’ talents into a singular vision.
The pair were brought together by the brand’s owner, Tony Graham. Graham, who owns A Common Thread and also manufactures private-label contemporary goods, saw a gap in the market. “Buyers cherry-pick items from a lot of brands—T-shirts from one brand, jeans from another, tops from another. Tony had the idea of creating a line that is edited but hits all the key categories. A perfect top, the perfect pants, a great little dress,” Fasiska said.
To reach that goal, Tran and Fasiska work together, each focusing on their strong suits. “I take care of the surface textures and textiles, and Desanka focuses more on the silhouettes and styling,” Tran said. The result is a collection that oozes a certain worldly bohemian vibe, peppered with doses of street-smart badass and uptown party girl.
Some pieces, such as a Western-style shirt cut from contrasting whimsical and crafty prints, strongly reflect Tran’s aesthetic. Others, such as a shrunken buttery patchwork leather jacket, reflect Fasiska’s aesthetic. “But almost everything has both of our fingerprints all over it,” Fasiska said. “We pass things back and forth between us all day long. Stephanie washed the [leather patchwork] jacket to give it another layer of interest.” And the tag-team approach, she said, gives the entire line a cohesive feeling.
The duo’s muse also straddles seemingly disparate worlds. “She’s effortless, with edge. She’s Paris but with an L.A. twist. It’s rock ’n’ roll but ’70s cool. Fashionable but not overdone,” Fasiska said. The line even mixes vintage and new. Tran hunts down deadstock items and reworks them for the line. For Spring she found a stash of Army jackets and pants and remade them into cool contemporary statement pieces.
Wholesale prices for the 40-piece line range from $39 to $52 for jersey tops and bottoms, $76 for a breezy cotton voile tank top, $98 for an asymmetrical printed silk tank, $119 for drop crotch skinny leg jeans, $206 for a leather vest, $320 for a leather jacket, $165 for a stretch lace dress and $120 for drop-crotch trousers. For more information, visit the Findings showroom, located in the Cooper Design Space, or call (213) 622-0717.—Erin Barajas
