On a cloudy Sunday night in Paris, a touch of California sunshine arrived by way of La DoubleJ and Mother’s vibrant new collaboration, supported by Net-a-Porter. The powerhouse trio took over the chic French restaurant La Fontaine Gaillon, transforming it into a lively hub where fashion’s finest gathered. Colorful, retro-style stickers from the collection adorned the hostess booth, while the courtyard and dining room buzzed with guests dancing, unwinding, and swapping stories from the day’s shows.
The partnership felt like a natural fit, given that J.J. Martin of La DoubleJ already had ties to Tim Kaeding and Lela Becker of Mother. Becker, as it happens, is married to the son of Martin’s parents’ best friends—families who once shared a duplex in Playa del Rey before relocating to Pacific Palisades in the 1970s. Despite La DoubleJ’s signature maximalist prints and fluid silks, denim had never been part of Martin’s design repertoire. That changed over a casual coffee meeting with Kaeding and Becker. “They’ve done all the denim, while we’ve brought in all the silks, cottons, and jerseys,” Martin explained. “We merged our worlds—Mother played with our symbols, prints, and motifs, and the result is something entirely fresh.”
The collaboration carried an even deeper significance after both brands faced a shared hardship—just last month, their planned side-by-side boutiques in Pacific Palisades were lost to the devastating L.A. fires. “We went through something really difficult together,” Martin said. “But that’s what makes this partnership even more meaningful—supporting each other through it all.”
The mood at the event was anything but somber, though. The fashion crowd was in high spirits, ready to celebrate. Editors, stylists, and industry insiders filled the space, dancing to music spun by DJ Mary Charteris. Martin and several guests wore pieces from the new collection, a vintage-inspired lineup punctuated with red, orange, and blue embroidery. “After years of dressing in patterns, I’m just so excited to finally have jeans in my wardrobe,” Martin admitted. “I was telling someone that only a couple of years ago, I bought my first-ever pair.”
Among the evening’s guests were Dianna Agron, Joan Smalls, and Daria Strokous, along with Net-a-Porter’s interim CEO and president, Alison Loehnis. For Mother, this marked the brand’s first-ever Paris Fashion Week event. “We love color—it’s a huge part of our brand identity,” Becker noted. “And J.J.’s prints are just insane, so it was the perfect match.”
As waiters passed plates of foie gras on toast and glasses of champagne and cocktails flowed, one thing became clear: Paris Fashion Week had never seen so much denim—or so much joy.
