September 11, 2023 |
This year is a turning point for Khaite following designer Catherine Holstein’s win at the CFDA Awards in 2022, for American Womenswear Designer. Back in February the brand staged an intimate show in its flagship, highlighting its focus on retail expansion and at its most recent show this week, it opted for its largest runway moment yet. Set at the Park Avenue Armory, an expansive location that’s commonly used for art world fairs, the show offered an exploration of contrasts.
Holstein set the mood upon entry, as the dark space stood in stark contrast to a series of optic white lights offering just enough illumination so that one could find their seat. As Radiohead’s “National Anthem” played, the show opened with a diaphanous sheer top paired with leather trousers. Holstein, in the show notes, says she wanted to blur the distinctions between surface and structure, organic and synthetic, transforming the soft into sharp and vice versa. The dramatic lighting served to reinforce the point, as models sauntered in and out of shadow and light, clad in looks that played with volume and textures as in the case of the billowy sleeved blouses and dresses as well as the slouchy knits accented with fringe.
Fans of the brand know to expect updated, cool versions on evening dressing as well as statement outerwear and this show offered plenty of options for the Khaite customer. For those looking for the former, there were long slip dresses, gauzy gowns cinched at the waist and fringed accented numbers. And for those looking for the latter, Holstein sent down multiple iterations of strong shouldered blazers, as well as leather jackets and trenches that are sure to sell well next year.
Photography by Hanna Tveite.
