Cate Holstein, winner of the CFDA Women’s Wear Designer of the Year Award, took the fashion world by storm on Sunday night with a highly anticipated and intimate showing of her Khaite Fall/Winter 2023 collection. Hosted at her soon-to-be-opened retail store in SoHo, the event was a testament to Holstein’s rising status in the industry.
The 100-person show was held in the spacious, industrial-inspired store that was a collaborative effort between Holstein and her architect husband Griffin Frazen. The 4,000-square-foot space pays homage to SoHo’s rich history as an industrial and artistic neighborhood, with curved, abstract steel dividers reminiscent of Richard Serra’s minimalist art movement of the 1960s. Holstein, who considers herself an American brand, said: “There’s also this aspect of salt-of-the-earth American industrial materials that we feel are very true to the brand as well“.
The Fall/Winter 2023 collection was a balance of masculine and feminine, precision and plushness, raw materials and romance, and marked a more mature phase for the growing brand. Leather jackets and outerwear, including the highly coveted $12,000 Ada shearling coats, have always been a staple of the Khaite brand. However, this season, Holstein offered more, with masculine, linebacker-shoulder coats in glossy leather and camel hair shaped to accentuate the feminine waist. Shearling was also a trend, with teddy pants, shearling bombers, and shearling slipdresses giving new meaning to cozy chic.
Holstein also touched upon fashion’s current minimalism moment with ivory or black silk tunics paired with fluid trousers, as well as long-sleeved maxi dresses with vertical pleats revealing chiffon layers. The collection was filled with grand gestures and special runway pieces that will now have a life in Holstein’s store, alongside the wearable jeans, knits, and boots that have powered her business growth.
