At Khaite‘s Fall 2019 show during New York Fashion Week, the first time the brand held a runway presentation ever, Catherine Holstein put forth a stunning tribute to women empowerment and timeless style. From her use of impactful volumes and long and lean silhouettes to the exquisite tailoring and skillful fabric manipulations, it’s easy to get enamored with what she presented this season. The collection founded upon common tropes and cultural iconography of American fashion and culture. The mutton sleeves and modest long-skirts forms were a tribute to the rebellious American suffragettes who fought for women’s rights back in the turn of the century, while the use of suede, fringes, and leather were clearly urban iterations of the Wild West style. Yet all the looks evoked a contemporary edge that was all too modern and less costumey. The covered-up floor-length ensembles, in the way they were cut and worn, displayed a sense of agency that was liberating and powerful. Even the light and airy tulle frocks that closed the show—which almost looked little girlish—looked empowering despite their daintiness. As far as politics and fashion go, this was the most refined of the lot!
Photo: Armando Grillo / Gorunway.com
