Yes, Coco Fennell rhymes with Coco Chanel. And yes, she's in on the joke. "My mum really liked the name and then realized the connection and thought it was funny. My middle name is Poppy, which means I am also Coco Pops. Basically my whole name is a joke," Fennell laughs. Her parents might be onto something. Coco, who is a fashion designer, is the younger sister of Emerald Fennell, the Oscar-winning writer, actress, and producer best known for her film, Promising Young Woman, and for portraying Camilla Parker-Bowles in Netflix's The Crown. "Maybe it is nominative determinism," she jokes. "When you have a silly name you become a silly person. It's quite nice though, I like it."

Fennell began designing and making dresses 10 years ago while studying graphic design, and her business grew organically until it became a full-fledged endeavor. Soon, stylist Avigail Collins (who has dressed Kim Kardashian West, Rita Ora, and Suki Waterhouse) began pulling her pieces and they became a staple for British actresses and influencers. Major fashion players like Rihanna, Kylie Minogue, and Paloma Faith are all fans. Fennell also had a hand in the wardrobe for Nina (Carey Mulligan) in Promising Young Woman with a baseball shirt (available on her site, here) and romantic rose print dress that Fennell promises will be available to shop soon. "The costume designer Nancy Steiner pulled a bunch of stuff so I didn't know what would be used until I saw it," she says.

Fennell's dresses are inspired by vintage Americana—think '70s Dolly Parton meets the Nap Dress. "I love a nipped in waist and big, balloon sleeves," says Fennell. "I wanted my dresses to be really flattering, easy to wear, and not super expensive. The prints can be anything really, I know what I like when I see it." She patrols eBay, Etsy, and vintage markets for fabrics to spark her creativity and then releases small capsules four times a year ("so you won't bump into someone wearing the same thing!" as she writes on her website).

This fall, Fennell is re-releasing her most popular designs from the archives to celebrate the 10th anniversary of her brand. "It is nice to look back and celebrate. I've always been interested in keeping things small. I am passionate about every drop and I know who my customers are, it is all very friendly." As for whether or not there will be more projects involving her sister Emerald, don't write it out. "My whole family gets along so well, it is very Brady Bunch. It sounds gross but we all genuinely find each other really funny, it's lovely."

That really only leaves one question left: Can we all join the Fennell family, please?

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Olivia Hosken
Deputy Managing Editor

Olivia Hosken is the deputy managing editor of House Beautiful, where she oversees operations across the brand's print and digital platforms. She also writes about design and architecture and was previously the style & interiors writer at Town & Country and the managing editor of Dwell.