MOTHER co-founder Lela Becker paints a vivid picture of the inspiration behind the just-launched Clare V. x MOTHER capsule collection. It’s that coveted center sliver in the Paris-to-Los Angeles Venn diagram where the two brands targeted their creative energy. The resulting 10-piece collection of tops and accessories, anchored by a duo of menswear-coded denim pieces, is proof that even while rooted in individual worlds, their collective aim is true. “Though we’re inspired by Parisian culture, Los Angeles gives us the freedom to be creative on our own terms. Not living by the fashion calendar as a fashion capital, being outsiders, having so much light, nature and space is an advantage — it all feels very zeitgeisty,” notes Clare V. founder Clare Vivier.

In a city where cool is as good as currency, both Clare V. and MOTHER are pretty much rolling in it, having hung onto their clout far beyond the point when fashion history predicts a fizzle. With 15 and 14 years in business under their respective belts, Clare V. and MOTHER are essentially heritage brands — particularly if we’re counting in L.A. years.

This slice of Southern California oozes creativity, with every individual neighborhood nurturing a micro-ecosystem of food, architecture, vibes and, of course, style. Clare V. operates out of an airy Atwater Village creative space far away from the influence of capital-F fashion. Then there’s the roster of stand-alone shops — Silverlake, Brentwood Country Mart and more — as individual as the neighbors who’ve embraced the bags, ranging from candy-colored to classic, with gusto. Meanwhile, MOTHER, with its forever-young, tongue-in-cheek aesthetic, casts a wider — though no less L.A.-specific — net: Deliciously vintage-inspired denim in every cut imaginable, adhering to the brand’s signature nostalgia by way of creative riffs on wash and silhouette.

With all that said, neither brand lets its hometown hero status go to its head. “The key is embracing a spirit of playfulness and openness to new ideas. When things start to feel formulaic, that’s precisely the moment when you need to change things up,” says Becker. And if you ask Vivier, authenticity and individuality are the secret sauce to longstanding success: “I still run the company with my friends, all of whom have incredible taste — we refuse to be influenced and embrace the liberty to do our own thing.”

Both businesses were women-led long before it was something to splash across a website. In other words, they operate with an inherent understanding that what women wish to see on store shelves, virtual or otherwise, and ultimately in their closets, can’t be one-note. “Women running women's fashion brands are doing it best. The lines I wear are primarily female designers and I don’t think that’s a coincidence; I’m wearing them because it’s the best product, it’s what I want to be wearing,” points out Vivier. Take the Clare V. x MOTHER Petite Bateau, for example. It’s the ultimate lady bag, buttery leather printed with an original MOTHER botanical artwork, but the checkered straps are downright punk-rock. And if you look a little closer you’ll be rewarded with the sight of a whimsical fairy hiding among the blooms.

It makes sense that neither Vivier nor Becker remembers who approached whom with an invitation to collaborate. “We definitely have a synergy between the two brands, a casualness and not taking ourselves too seriously,” says Vivier. Not to mention that Clare V. doesn’t dabble in denim, making the design experience creatively exciting. “We had this idea for a denim trouser and a vest because we’ve always thought men’s suits are so cool. The denim is worn and faded in all the right places, MOTHER was the perfect partner to get those details right.” Translating men’s suiting into denim, then upgrading it all with the just-right details, was a challenge Becker and her team were more than happy to meet. “It’s always interesting to have an outside perspective looking in at the brand and product, Clare’s vision added a new dimension,” Becker explained. “For example, her idea of the perfect denim trouser and vest brought a more tailored look than we typically do, hitting that perfect balance of laidback and cool.”

When doing any kind of business in Los Angeles it's impossible to ignore the daily struggles of so many — an outsized number being women. “Lela and I share this sentiment that we don’t live in a bubble, we live in a community, and that means giving back in whatever ways we can,” Vivier says of the decision to donate $20,000 from the sales of this capsule to the Downtown Women’s Center, which has been devoted exclusively to supporting women and gender-diverse individuals experiencing homelessness since 1978, providing housing, medical care, and other essential services to as many as possible. “As women founders, it’s important to us that we uplift women in L.A..” Becker continued.

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