In the fall of 2005, indie actress Taryn Manning (“8 Mile,” “Crazy/Beautiful,” “Hustle and Flow”) and her BFF, Tara Jane, launched Born Uniqorn, a clothing line best described as a mix of Juicy Couture and Gwen Stefani's L.A.M.B. The girls took some time out of their busy schedule—they're preparing for an Elle magazine-sponsored show at fall's New York Fashion Week—to chat with us about the origin of their real-deal, publicist-free friendship and the proper wardrobe for those oh-so-crucial first three dates.
You two have been besties for quite some time now. How exactly did you meet?
Tara Jane: Well, it was pretty much love at first sight—
Taryn Manning: Friendship-wise!
TJ: Right! We're just friends! [Laughter] Basically, from the second we met, we got along. We have the exact same personality, the exact same sense of humor. Ugh, Taryn tells this story so much better than I do.
TM: We were both in seventh grade hanging out with our own individual cliques when they sort of merged one day. She had very wacky style, which drew my attention to her immediately, so we started talking and I asked her if she wanted to hang out with me the next day.
TJ: She asked if I had a best friend, and I said that I didn't. She said that she didn't either and asked, “So, uh, do you want to be best friends?” I said yes, and we've been best friends ever since.
You made a verbal contract?
TJ: We had our lawyers solidify it later that day.
What were your styles like then, and what are they like now?
TJ: Name any wacky trend and we were probably into it! We wore black lipstick, dyed our hair different colors and paired tights with baby doll dresses before it was ubiquitous.
What inspired you then?
TM: We'd go through Elle magazine or Vogue and see that hippie style was coming back, so we'd go to the thrift stores that weekend and find bell-bottom jeans and vintage platforms. The next thing you know, we'd show up to school on Monday with a completely different style than the week before.
TJ: We've always kind of walked to the beat of our own drum.
TM: Tara and I were both raised by single moms, so we never had a lot of money. Shopping at thrift stores was not uncommon for us, so we'd always end up finding really unique gems. I had a friend in elementary school whose mom wouldn't let her hang out with me because of my pink converse. I used to have to hide my shoes outside before I walked in.
You were a fashion pariah!
TJ: We've always been big fans of Converse.
TM: We dressed like boys for a hot minute.
TJ: Total tomboys.
It sounds like you've always been interested in fashion. How did Born Uniqorn come about?
TJ: We're both just really creative people, and we wanted to infuse our friendship with that and have something constructive come out of all the time we were spending together. We're friends with Charlotte Ronson and the girls from Primp, so we just kind of started doing research. We went downtown, found fabric, learned how to get pattern makers. We just started hitting the pavement and learned everything the hard way. We just went out there, studied and figured it out through a lot of trial and error-
TM: And a lot of wasted money.
How would you describe the line? What kind of girl wears Born Uniqorn?
TJ: Our clothes are the perfect third-date outfit. They're fun, sexy and flirty. Definitely not high maintenance. Everything is made to feel like you're wearing a sweatshirt and sweatpants, but look like something a lot more expensive.
I usually only go on first dates. What's a third-date outfit?
TM: Tara coined that phrase. It's so cute!
TJ: It's become my shtick! People love it. I said it to the Ron Herman buyer and she flipped!
So, a first-date outfit is...
TM: Dolled up, but you want to make sure what you're wearing encompasses who you are. If a dude is into me, it has to be known that I dress kind of loud and I wear a lot of jewelry.
Second?
TJ: A little more casual I think, but still nice. Designer jeans and heels maybe?
And finally...
TJ: The third date is usually dinner and a movie, so you want to be a little cozier. You want to evoke your leisurely self, but still be equally as cute. Taryn and I have always hung out with guys, and trust us, to them, there's nothing worse than a high-maintenance girl.
How do you feel the line has evolved over the years? Where do you see it going?
TJ: The line is very much about Hollywood itself, where a lot of our dreams have come true. That's what we want to give people in the rest of the world a little taste of. Eventually, I think we'd love to see our collections in department stores worldwide. We'd like to eventually design everything from shoes to sunglasses and accessories.
What do you think represents Hollywood style?
TM: It's a quarter-life-crisis melting pot. I know there are people in their 20s everywhere, but I just feel like Hollywood especially is full of people trying to pursue their dreams. Every little hub from Silverlake to Echo Park to Venice has its own distinct sense of style.
Anything exciting in your future?
TM: The first single off Boomkat's second record is out right now, along with the video [editor's note: Boomkat is Taryn's band]. I just finished shooting “Love Ranch” opposite Helen Mirren and Joe Pesci. I'm going to be taking a break from acting for a while to focus on our show during New York Fashion Week.
Ooh la la!
TJ: We've been invited to participate in Style 360, which is put on by Elle magazine. It's the same week as New York Fashion Week, and it's in Manhattan very close to the Bryant Park tents. We're going to be showing with Lauren Conrad and Joel Madden. It's going to be a lot of work, but it's so exciting! We still have a lot of work ahead of us.
Born Uniqorn is available at Fred Segal, Ron Herman, and Brunette.
Marcos Luevanos is Style editor for Metromix Los Angeles.
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