Coco & Breezy tell C.J. about their Gaga & Beyonce connections

A couple days before their in-store appearance and pop-up shop at Minneapolis' Studiiyo23 on Thursday, eyewear-designing twins Coco & Breezy got interviewed for C.J.'s Star Tribune column today, revealing how they got their shades on Lady Gaga and Beyonce:

Photo: Allen Cooley

Coco said they have no idea where Gaga got a pair of the dark glasses they make, which are being sold through their online store and in boutiques all over the world, as in Japan, Germany, France and Bermuda. But Breezy said they recognized a pair of their dark glasses on Gaga, in the quick scene where the egregiously dramatic singer is holding a piano keyboard in her "Marry the Night" video. (I'll take Breezy's word for this since I can't stand to watch Gaga.)

The designing twins know exactly how Beyonce got hip to their eyewear, and it's some memory.

"We've been good friends with Beyonce's stylist for two years, but we never asked about Beyonce. About six months ago," Coco said, "he wanted to put Beyonce in one of our bracelets for a video they were doing. He told her about our brand, and wanted us because the whole style of it [her video] was [Coco and Breezy] fashion inspired. Six hours before the [shoot for another video] we got a phone call: Beyonce wants you guys on set. Can you guys make it?

"I was like, 'Oh, my God! Yes! We can make it!' Beyonce sent a car to come and pick us up and we spent like the whole day with her," said Coco. "She's so humble, so sweet."

Via C.J. for Star Tribune
Submitted by @jahnapeloquin

Video: Coco and Breezy in new Beyonce video

Eyewear-designing twins Coco and Breezy have been blowing up since they made the move from Minnesota to NYC. The duo have been featured in everything from Essence to Elle, and count Ashanti, Nicki Minaj, Kelly Osbourne and Kelly Rowland as fans of their sunglasses line. Apparently, their personal style got them noticed by the casting agent for Beyonce's new video for the early '90s R&B throwback jam "Party" (which also features a cameo by Rowland). Here are screenshots from the video featuring Coco and/or Breezy, wearing shades from their new "Rainy Days" collection (available now at www.cocoandbreezy.com). Watch the video in full below.







Via Coco and Breezy on Facebook
Submitted by @jahnapeloquin

Checkin' in with Coco & Breezy

Our favorite hometown twins have been taking NYC by storm this year with their heavy metal line of sunglasses (and their sparkling personalities). We knew it was only a matter of time before the girls got some super serious exposure. Whilst perusing Facebook this morning we came across a delightful post from the twinsies. Vogue? Yep. Vogue.


Not sure if it's related to this C&B blog post from Sunday, but either way, this is some fun news as well (note the studded Coco & Breezy shades in Willow Smith's twitpic, along the top of the image):


Bonus: C&B will be having a Black Friday sale on their site, so scoop up some shades for a steal!

Submitted by @TheIverson

New York Fashion Week Twitterings

Minneapolis peeps have been taking New York Fashion Week by storm! Here's a smattering of Tweets from locals on the haps on Day 1 of #nyfw.

Eyewear designin' twins Coco & Breezy prep for their Fashion Week show with Honey Magazine.

Aveda lead hair stylist/rock star Pearson Knight has already worked on shows for Christian Siriano and John Patrick Organic. But this run-in is potentially cooler...

We can only wonder who Star Tribune's Sara Glassman was interviewing. Lady Gaga/Alexander McQueen fave Philip Treacy, we hope!

Project Runway alum Christopher Straub hits the town! Word is that he went to the Nicolas Putvinski presentation, a Project Runway viewing party with a bunch of past designers at Laura Bennett's place yesterday. (Tom & Lorenzo also attended!) Then today he went to the taping of the finale for season 8 of Project Runway. Then on Friday he goes to L.A. for the VMAs. (For Brittani Senser photo ops, of course!)

Submitted by @jahnapeloquin

Coco & Breezy get high-profile gig, writeup in Style.com

When identical twin models/sunglasses designers Coco & Breezy left the mini apple for the Big Apple a little over a year ago, they've been busy little bees, getting their shades worn by hip hop stars like Ashanti and had their glasses featured in a spread for Vibe. Now, they've gotten their highest profile coverage - and gig - to date.

[Photo via In Tandem Magazine]

Style.com's Style Files Blog reports that high-profile sunglasses designer Selima Salaun, who's collaborated with the sisters, invited the sisters to customize 20 pieces for her shops. The collab-loving Salaun has already worked with J.Crew, Proenza Schouler, Tim Hamilton, and more.

Here's one pair of shades from the forthcoming collection:

[Photo: Courtesy of Selima Optique]

You go, girls!

Via Coco & Breezy on facebook

Submitted by @jahnapeloquin

Coco and Breezy shoot their shades

Former local eyewear designers/models Coco & Breezy are getting along just fine out in NYC, in case you were wondering! Just today the twins tweeted/Facebooked this cool vid of behind the scenes footage of a photoshoot for their new sunglasses collection, 20/20.

Go Coco & Breezy!

Coco & Breezy photo shoot for there 20/20 line from Nunnie20 on Vimeo.

Coco & Breezy vs. Danielle & Chantelle?

Ooooh snap! Locally bred models/designers Coco & Breezy moved to NYC just last year, and it seems like they may already have some seriously stylish twinsy competition in Danielle and Chantelle Piper!

We got an e-mail from NYC-based twin fashion mavens and models Danielle and Chantelle telling us about their line, Kastle Designs, and drawing our attention to a post on cool fashion blog, the Nine Forty Nine in which they talk about their work. Both sets of twins were featured on The Nine Forty Nine here and here. Could D&C have been lead to our lil' ol' LOL/OMG blog through researching internet stalking their cute counterparts? Obvious similarities between the twins are a bit uncanny: both are fashion models and designers (D&C do clothing, C&B do eyewear but have dabbled in apparel), and both are, well, for a lack of a better term, HOT.

Are you team Coco & Breezy or team Danielle & Chantelle? Personally, we think they should team up. After all, four pretty heads are better than two! However, if they were ever to brawl, our money would be on the badass Coco & Breezy -- Danielle and Chantelle just look so sweet and innocent!

Danielle & Chantelle

Coco & Breezy

Submitted by @letoilemagazine

Jane Belfry vs. Coco and Breezy?

Zing! Local fashion plate, eBay seller and up-and-coming stylist Jane Belfry (formerly known as Jane Magnitude) lists her worst trends of the year, and we have to say we found ourselves LOLing along and agreeing with many of them - though we do think local jewelry designer Aimie Dukes of Ferociter rocks the half-shaved-head look pretty well.


Jane seems to throw in a diss by including a pic of a bunch of peeps wearing Coco & Breezy's line of Gemela Amor studded sunglasses, and we spy Coco and Breezy in the background. Do we sense a Twin Cities rivalry brewing?

UPDATE: Jane just posted this response on her blog: "My post about my least favorite trends of the year that I posted here landed me a little bit of hate mail, a few snarky comments, & an appearant ‘possible fued’ between me and two locals that design studded eyewear. Don’t take yourselves so seriously, my opinions may not be shared by all, I don’t expect them to be. I may be alone in my fight against overstyled celebrities & club goers but my opinions will never change."

For the record, we dig both Jane's classic style and Coco & Breezy's wild street-flavored style!

Submitted by @jahnapeloquin