February 11, 2024 |
Entitled Unfolding, Khaite’s AW24 collection was all about blurring the generational divide and embracing declination; finding decadence in dilapidation. “I’ve been thinking a lot about heritage, generational change, reworking, rebuilding, falling apart, and picking up,” creative director Catherine Holstein wrote in the show notes, adding that the show was “for my mother, or at least my memory of her”. The clothes that came out explored this rather literally, looking at the devolution of a fallen drape, compared to that of a memory, and the catharsis of allowing what was once structured, once remembered, to fall away as this season’s idea of beauty. “I found myself seduced by this notion as a practice,” she wrote.
Silhouettes were floor-sweeping, with elegant coats, collared capes and button-up tuxedos with cumberbund-style waistbands filling out much of the lineup. Elsewhere, enveloping menswear silhouettes were cut with couture-esque contours and worn with new iterations of the Cate bag as well as an architectural take on a pair of square, peep-toe pumps. Excess was stripped away. Asymmetry was pervasive. Generational disparities faded away. Holstein committed herself to navigating “the idea of heritage from memory… who we were, are and become, transitioning from generation to generation.”
There were also long leather pencil skirts and slouchy satin tops, billowing satin gowns – intentionally crinkled – and frothy gossamer gowns. Everything adhered to a seductive yet neutral palette of black, white and oxblood red, heathered greys, camel, cream and olive green. Many of the looks were shrouded with luxe fur coats with a vintage feel. Throughout, the collection came underscored, at once, by a gentle air of melancholy and strength.
Photography by Hanna Tveite.
