Cate Holstein took Khaite in a more romantic direction for resort, building on the brand’s canon of power suiting, sumptuous outerwear and leather dressing, and adding nods to Victoriana, flared skirts and floor-dusting pleated silk georgette dresses.
Holstein’s seasonal direction is often anchored by a new shoe, and for resort, it’s the River boot, a mega slouchy style that added a romantic heroine attitude to just about everything.
Also newsy was a black jacket in a slightly fitted, Victorian-esque silhouette with a high collar and tiny buttons down the front, paired with a diaphanous black silk georgette dress and another great-looking new shoe, the studded Apollo wedge boot with rounded toe.
A black leather rounded-shoulder, nipped-at-the-waist jacket was worn over a jersey top and skirt, and the slouchy River boot, for a balance between volume and restraint. Holstein also offered new cropped versions of her wait-listed shearlings and wool coats which looked great over flared skirts and jersey separates.
“This collection is about looking ahead, embracing natural progression and trusting your instincts,” Holstein said via email. “Khaite has always carried balance — soft and sharp, masculine and feminine, structured and fluid — but each season represents that balance in a different way and continues to mature and evolve over time.”
Other lust-worthy leather pieces included a pair of white leather high-waist pants with just the right volume to the legs, an elongated black bomber jacket and a black two-way zip column skirt.
Utilitarian ribbed merino Henley bodysuits, and suede overshirts added to the versatile wardrobing mix, which Holstein said was shaped by thinking about merchandising her first store, which opened in Manhattan’s SoHo in February.
“We shot the look book on set, which though a world of its own, highlights the tones and materials in our store and does draw a parallel,” she said.
Adding a touch of novelty, a new Scenic Ladies print, used on silk tie-back shirts and shirtdresses, depicts the Statue of Liberty, the Brooklyn Bridge and other New York City sights, tying the brand even more closely to the city that continues to be such an inspiration for the designer.
While the palette was mostly black, white and beige, it did include some vivid iris blue moments, including a dramatic, hand-pleated silk georgette gown that should find a place on a Hollywood red carpet soon.
