Daniella Clarke

Daniella Clarke was born in Israel and lived there until she was ten then she spent the rest ofher teen years bouncing back and forth between South Africa and the U.S.

Taking cues from rock-hippie chic of the late 1960s and 1970s, Clarke began working from her garage, starting initially with with a line of sexy, bootcut denim jeans named after her main source of insipiration, her daughter Frankie, which eventually also became the name of the label.

The origins of the line took root a few decades ago when Clarke was always cutting and resewing her own jeans to fit her killer bod to achieve a more ’70s sexy look. She would often fashion her new creations after a pair of her favorite Dittos jeans that a friend borrowed and never returned. A huge denim line in the late ’70s and early ’80s, Dittos had a saddleback stitch and came in a Crayola box assortment of colors.

In a full circle moment, Dittos recently contacted Clarke and told her she would be the perfect person to resurrect the line, and of course she jumped at the chance. Although Clarke often sports the widelegged Dittos, she says her favorites are still her Frankie B. boot cuts. “My boot cuts are my O.G.,” she laughs. This is quite a distinction, as Clarke’s closet boasts more than 300 pairs of jeans that she puts on a rotation.

Between traveling, being a wife and mother, and heading the Frankie B. empire it seems Clarke has found perfect harmony, all the while teetering on top of a pair of platforms. It only makes sense that she created a wardrobe that would take her from the backstage of a concert to the front row of a fashion show, or just as easily to the couch where she snuggles up with her family.

March 2002, the label expanded into swimwear. Clarke's swimwear line will include triangle and bandeau tops, terry cloth fabrics, pinstripes of natural, mango and mint green, and side-tie bottoms, cut unquestionably low.

The swimwear is available at Fred Segal and Traffic in L.A., Patricia Field and Henri Bendel in NYC, and Saks Fifth Avenues nationwide.

Daniella and Frankie B. were awarded the MAFI Fashion Innovator of the Year award in 2004 for contributions to the fashion industry; and three years later, Daniella was honored with a Media Award from Y-Me National Breast Cancer Organization for her support and dedication to the charity.