Twenty-two-year-old Frankie Belle Stark lives without limits. Ever since she was a child, she’s escaped into the seams of her clothes, weaving stories and fashioning characters with unbridled imagination as she played dress up. Growing up surrounded by family friends and artists like Joe and Mayumi Foti, designing was always part of her vernacular. Her love for fashion manifested into creating her own swimwear brand at 15 years old, following in the footsteps of her fashion-royalty parents: Richard and Laurie Lynn Stark, the founders of Chrome Hearts. This May, she had the Internet in an instant chokehold when she graduated from Parsons wearing a one-of-a-kind Chrome Hearts graduation cap layered with iconic pink and white crosses. For this modern muse whose DNA is embedded with design, inspirations come from even the most quotidian moments in life, and ideas never cease to churn — they are simply simmering, developing, perfecting, until ready to be served.
Growing up in a creative household with such a distinct aesthetic, how did you develop your own style and find your creative voice? Have you ever felt pressured to maintain a certain aesthetic?
I’ve never felt pressure to dress a certain way. I’ve always loved to play dress up and experiment with clothes. I just wanna have fun and my clothing always exudes that feeling.
You and your friend Kono started your own company, Dipped in Blue, when you were 15. How do you think the brand has evolved with you?
Oh my! This has truly been a dream to work with my best friend on this brand and see it take off. Dipped In Blue has always felt like it was a part of me, like it was just waiting to be born… the brand grows with us. It’s storytelling through our shoots that we are able to remember major marks of our life with friends in our designs. It’s so fun.
Do you find inspiration in unexpected places, like music, art, literature, or food? Can you share a specific instance when something surprising sparked a design idea?
I’m always taking everything in. I mean, I stared at my matcha this morning for way too long and I found myself trying to colour match it for the next drop! A lot of things in nature spark most of my ideas. I love being outside.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve received about entrepreneurship and building a brand?
Any advice I get from my Mom and Dad is always the best! I would say don’t follow trends, make your own!
Any fashion hot takes?
Oh, I don’t know. Maybe tutus! I love tutus, and I think everyone should wear them more!
Your approach to social media feels unapologetic and authentic. How do you discern when to share and when to hold back?
I really don’t think about it at all… I just post because it’s fun! My friends and I take a lot of random pictures, and everyone’s just cute all the time!
Cooking appears to be a big part of your life. What kickstarted your interest in it? Do you have any family recipes that you like to make?
I find a lot of peace in cooking. It’s always connected us as a family. Some of my favourite memories are helping my mom and grandma make family dinner. That’s something we still try to do every week. My grandpa had incredible recipes, and he taught me how to make his famous hot sauce…. and now I’m carrying on that tradition.
Have you ever been to Hong Kong? What would be on your Hong Kong bucket list if you had to make one?
Yes, but I was little I would love to just go back and see every single thing!
Any dreams or plans for expanding your design repertoire? Will you be working on any Chrome Hearts projects?
I am I will and I’m always dreaming!
Finally, a friend and someone who visited the hospital the day you and your brother were born had a memory to share: Joe Foti wrote to me about remembering visiting “Color Me Mine” with you, Kono, and Mayumi when you were about 10 years old, and they still have one of the plates you guys made. If you still remember, what was the day like? Would you say designing is something that comes naturally to you, or was it more of a skill you learnt and developed over time?
Ah, Joe and Mayumi, my favourite! Kono and I obsessed over this day forever! I remember it perfectly! That day was so cute. We always hung out at the factory in Mayumi’s office, and we used to make pillows, take pictures, draw and just play with anything and everything in her office, but one day we came to the factory and Joe and Mayumi took us to Color Me Mine! Can’t remember exactly what we made, but the memories are still there! Designing definitely comes naturally, but I am still learning every day. The ideas are there. I’m just excited to dive in even more.
Photography: Brent McKeever
Styling: Foxla Chiu
Fashion Direction: Cherry Mui
On-set Stylist: Keyan Miao
Makeup Artist: Elayna Bachman
Hair Stylist: Darine Sengseevong
Photography Assistant: Justin Barahona
Editor
Karrie Lam
