On Saturday night, Holstein presented her Khaite Fall 2026 collection at the Park Avenue Armory with a 60-foot curved LED wall made of 2,000 handmade panels. Cryptic text was projected across the venue, and front-row attendees included Post Malone and Sarah Pidgeon, who arrived wearing a black dress reminiscent of Carolyn Bessette Kennedy. This production signals how Holstein has built Khaite into one of New York’s most commercially successful brands while maintaining her creative ambition.
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| 🎬 Inspired by Orson Welles’ 1973 film F for Fake 🏛️ Staged at Park Avenue Armory with a 60-foot LED installation 🖤 Structured black tailoring remains central to Khaite’s identity 🧵 Victorian lace and bustled silhouettes introduce darker romance 👢 Oversized, wrinkled boots redefine statement footwear 📈 Collection reflects tension between artistic ambition and commercial growth |
She drew inspiration from Welles’s 1973 documentary F for Fake, which examines forgery and questions how the art world determines value and authenticity. The film resonated with Holstein’s current position within the fashion industry. She must push her creative boundaries while managing a rapidly expanding business that includes popular denim and knitwear lines. Place cards reading “The crushing weight of words” hinted at the pressure she feels.
Griffin Frazen, Holstein’s husband and an architectural designer, created the dramatic LED installation with his team. The display communicated Khaite’s serious intent and the scale of its success to the most glamorous audience at New York Fashion Week. The venue itself suited the brand’s ambitions. The Park Avenue Armory can accommodate massive installations that smaller venues cannot.
Khaite has established a recognizable aesthetic centered on structured tailoring, predominantly in black and frequently executed in leather. Her runway presentations emphasize these elements alongside ethereal dresses. She favors organza and tulle in pale tones with delicate straps. The Khaite woman carries an east-west Kye bag and wears Arizona ankle boots, signaling insider knowledge and purchasing power.
This collection expanded Holstein’s signature aesthetic into darker, more romantic territory. A velvet bustier gown featured a 1980s-style bustled gazar skirt. Victorian-collared black lace blouses were paired with narrow trousers. Strict tailoring dominated many looks.
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Then, Holstein introduced elements of provocation and deception. Hyperfeminine white lace lingerie dresses and sheer, bustled pieces were paired with unusually long, dark false nails and leather opera gloves. Embroidered monkeys on transparent blouses referenced the themes of the documentary and the eccentric 1970s dandies featured in it.
Military-inspired marching band jackets with exaggerated buttons and trims arrived. Floral velvet suits and oversized bow ties furthered the theatrical references. Cross chains evoked Alfred Hitchcock films. Two evening skirts displayed prints inspired by Milton Avery paintings.
These unexpected details added dimension to Holstein’s ongoing exploration of proportion and fit. After having two children in the past three years, she continues to examine how garments interact with the body. She contrasts ultra-cropped silhouettes with elongated pieces, as well as soft fabrics with rigid structures.
The footwear presented perhaps the collection’s boldest proposal. Pointed pumps and boots were designed to fit loosely, creating a wrinkled, oversized effect. Her ability to make such unconventional styles desirable demonstrates genuine creative influence.
The fluid midi skirt emerged throughout the collection and became a defining silhouette of the week. Lace slip dresses appeared to hover inches above the body. However, Holstein’s customers may not grasp the subliminal references to authenticity and artifice embedded in the collection. However, they will recognize pieces that look good and fit within the established Khaite vocabulary that has driven the brand’s commercial success.
