Kendall Jenner, Devon Lee Carlson
California girls: unforgettable, undeniable—as per Katy Perry—and also undoubtedly aware of what makes a great summer outfit. For their first collaboration, which launches today, SoCal natives and longtime friends Devon Lee Carlson and Frankies Bikinis founder Francesca Aiello have teamed up on a joy-filled collection, aptly called Sunshine Girls.
To celebrate, the duo hosted an idyllic dinner in Paradise Cove’s Field of Dreams—a private piece of land adjacent to Aiello’s Malibu home, and, notably, where Carlson recently became engaged. “Everything about this evening feels so magical…the location, the sunset, the way everyone looked in the collection,” Carlson told Vogue. “This entire collaboration has had so much love surrounding it.”
Among those who popped by for the al fresco picnic-style dinner were Carlson’s sister Sydney and fiancé Duke Nicholson, Kendall Jenner, Lauren Perez, Blake Griffin, Charlotte Lawrence, Salem Mitchell, and Victoria Villarroel—all donning pieces from the line such as silk slips and animal prints. (The archival fashion-inspired collection also includes Y2K-worthy low-rise jeans, a notable first for the swimwear and ready-to-wear brand.) “We wanted to make clothes to have in our dream closet; the clothes that you would see in movies and wish you could wear when you grow up…it’s all here,” said Carlson.
Aiello, who has previously linked up with friends including Gigi and Bella Hadid, as well as Pamela Anderson, Sydney Sweeney, and Jennie from Blackpink for co-designed offerings added: “We wanted to create a collection that felt like us—sunshine and dogs included. We used our most treasured pieces as inspiration: bright colors, playful patterns, and vintage silhouettes.”
To end the evening, the group surprised Carlson with a nostalgic pink tiered cake in honor of her 32nd birthday. Alas, “the best birthday gift is getting to see everyone in the collection,” she mused.
