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Laura Kim and Fernando Garcia are now co-creative directors at two of New York’s most talked-about fashion brands: Oscar de la Renta and Monse.Stephanie Noritz

It's been eight years since Fernando Garcia was Laura Kim's intern at Oscar de la Renta, but he still picks up her coffee every morning on his way into the office. "Iced black coffee from Starbucks," he says with a laugh. "I've been bringing her one every single day since 2009." Though the coffee order is a constant, almost everything else has changed. Kim, who lived in Calgary for nine years before moving to New York to study at the Pratt Institute, and Garcia who studied architecture at the University of Notre Dame, have gone from boss and intern to co-creative directors at two of New York's most talked-about fashion brands: Oscar de la Renta, the venerable fashion house where they both learned their craft and Monse, the buzzy line they launched together two years ago.

The catalyst for change came in 2015, not long after de la Renta, their mentor, passed away in October 2014 and Peter Copping took the reins. Kim, who was design director at the time, and Garcia, who was principal designer, decided to leave the company they'd been at for 12 and six years, respectively, and strike out on their own. "We interviewed with other brands, but in the end we really didn't want to report to anyone," says Kim. "Our only option was to start our own company."

When Monse debuted in September 2015 it was an immediate hit. Kim and Garcia's sexy take on relaxed glamour, particularly the deconstruction of the white shirt – as an off-kilter day dress, silken PJs, even a voluminous ball gown – had critics and fashion insiders raving. They were crowned breakout stars and became the darlings of New York Fashion Week.

But behind their quick rise was some serious hustle. "We reached out to everyone in the industry who was known to be the toughest and asked them for help," says Kim. "They told us very directly what was wrong and what we should be doing. And we listened." They contacted Steven Kolb of the Council of Fashion Designers of America, as well as celeb stylists Kate Young, Cristina Ehrlich and Carine Roitfeld. Kim even messaged executive Sarah Rutson on LinkedIn and Garcia approached New York Magazine critic Cathy Horyn on the street. "I literally jumped at her in front of Eataly," he says. "You have to be willing to embarrass yourself every now and then. Sometimes it pays off."

When the duo were appointed co-creative directors at Oscar de la Renta last September, things came full circle. With Monse now at the top of every celebrity's wish list (its fall 2017 sequinned dresses are the season's red-carpet must-have); a CFDA win under their belts (they took home the Swarovski Award for women's wear last June); and a successful debut for ODLR in the bag, the pair are ready for whatever's next.

"We've been through a lot these last couple of years," says Garcia. "I don't think there's anything that can come our way that can tear us apart." Safe to say there'll be plenty more iced coffees to come.

For more information, visit http://www.monse.com/

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