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While the runways are awash with ‘90s logo tees and skate-influenced streetwear, Catherine Holstein, Creative Director of Khaite, is taking a very different approach to fashion for today’s woman. “I felt a need for a fresh perspective on classic American sportswear,” says the designer. “Something that was feminine without being precious.”
Her line of clean, fluid and most importantly, easy, wardrobe basics combine airy silhouettes with luxurious fabrics and textures that form the fundamentals of an effortless, everyday look.
“Awareness is my most valued tool when designing. I think most people notice a well-dressed woman on the street,” Holstein muses. “What I like to observe is every woman. I ask myself, ‘What are the most common cuts and fabrics that I see?’ I don’t necessarily design directly into those categories, but my overall question is always, ‘What do women want every day?”
“Khaite is sensual, strong and transitional.”
This is a question that Holstein has been answering for over a decade, having spent the formative years of her career in knitwear at GAP countered by a Design Director position at Vera Wang several years later. It was her time at these brands that taught her the importance of fit and fabric and her immense knowledge - and vision for what women do want to wear every day - couldn’t be more evident than at Khaite.
Since launching the label, Holstein is constantly on the go and so it’s no surprise that travel solutions has become core to Khaite’s newest collection. “I was thinking of pieces that travel easily for warm weather with sensuality and ease. Materials that breathe, and colours that are bright that invoke a sense of celebration. The film Purple Noon became the theme of the collection for its signature rich colours and nautical sense in the Italian Mediterranean,” she says.
Sensual, strong and transitional - we can’t wait for what Khaite has in store for us next.
