At Khaite, Catherine Holstein offered a clearer stance on who her woman is (which wasn’t the case last season) – although her runway was dark and dimmed, as usual. Some things just don’t change. But at least for autumn-winter 2025, her ideas had shape and texture. Inspired by the enigmatic, elusive world of David Lynch and his mysterious heroines, Holstein clashed masculine notions with feminine sense for drama. All the leather and leopard-spot pony skin looked believable, just like the draped sheaths layered over shirts. In a way, Khaite isn’t about fashion novelty, but easy-to-digest styling and a sense of (fleeting) cool. This collection will certainly end up on the moodboards of many high-street brands in the upcoming months, from COS to Mango. And that’s not a bad thing.
Joseph Altuzarra is in his most delicious creative era… ever. Forget collections inspired with sunny, far-fetched destinations or film titles – thematic line-ups that (over)defined Altuzarra for over a decade. The New York-based designer now finds interest in personalities. Real ones. His latest outing, presented in his chic Woolworth Building headquarters, was dedicated to women of the Big Apple. The Lee Radziwills and Sarah Jessica Parkers, the Edie Sedgwicks and Ladies of Madison Avenue. Women of flesh-and-bone, who equally love a proper evening dress with a fringed big hat and a shaggy shearling coat worn as a dress, styled with heels and tights only. But if I had to compare this collection to a fictional persona, I would pick Nicole Kidman’s phenomenal portrayal of Babygirl‘s Romy – a New York businesswoman on a quest of self-discovery.
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Finally, cool, honest, not-overworked and real clothes in New York. Eckhaus Latta delivers a collection of brilliant garments that feel lived-in – and you want to live in. Thick knits, sensual jerseys, rough leathers, flesh-revealing cuts. Mike Eckhaus and Zoe Latta acutely observe how their friends dress on the daily basis, and this collection sums up their notes. Obsessed with the Steven Meisel-ish headbands for the guys.
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Colleen Allen is a designer that brings hope to New York Fashion Week. Her autumn-winter 2025 lookbook is a delightful blend of what she’s already recognized for – curiosity for Victorian-era garments and a certain elusive, beguiling witchiness – and a new-found sensuality seen through a witty lens. The collection is modelled by the artist Kembra Pfahler, whose famous layered imprints of her buttocks on canvas inspired Allen. “It was like a fuck you way of referencing Yves Klein and how he used to utilize the female body as a paint brush,” she said, explaining her choice of blue in this season’s blue velvet coat-dress. In general, this collection had a thing to do with “a little bit of butt,” as the designer stated. The coats have an exaggerated back cut, offering playful peekaboo moment for a bum glimpse. This extremely talented designer is channeling a new, badass, feminine energy that fashion needs – through a female gaze.
In case you missed my interview with Colleen – here’s the link!
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Maybe it’s the general fatigue from the constant fashion cycles – since January 7th, it’s been non-stop fashion weeks (pre-fall, menswear, couture, and the bizarrely packed Copenhagen and Berlin FWs) – but New York Fashion Week so far feels painfully generic. Of course, there were exceptions: Marc Jacobs‘ joyful outing and Christopher John Rogers‘ exuberant return to the runway. But in the sea of tasteless minimalism flooding the city, it’s easy to forget these fleeting moments of vitality.
And that’s precisely the problem with NYFW and its brands: their obsession with minimalism. Everyone wants to be the next The Row but ends up in the limbo of Totême, Proenza Schouler, and the current-day, shapeless look of Jil Sander. Everyone wants to channel the straightforward, raw elegance of Phoebe Philo, but the result is COS. Worse yet – overpriced COS.
New York has a deep-rooted history with minimalism. Minimal art was born here: think Frank Stella’s geometric perfection, Donald Judd’s rigorously crafted “Specific Objects,” and Dan Flavin’s fluorescent light installations. It’s no coincidence that as minimal art began to take shape, fashion minimalists emerged in the city, starting with Halston and Zoran, evolving through Calvin Klein and Donna Karan, and culminating in Helmut Lang – who, ironically, wasn’t even based in New York. His vision of womenswear and menswear in the late ’90s, formed during his time in the city, creatively propels local designers of today, like Mike Eckhaus and Zoe Latta of Eckhaus Latta. It’s really no wonder why so many brands are fixated on minimalism here. But should they be?
The appointment of Veronica Leoni as creative director at Calvin Klein (Collection) promised to be the next big New York success story everyone had been waiting for. Unfortunately, the Italian designer – best known for her discreet label Quira – missed the mark with her debut. Completely.
Calvin Klein’s minimalism of yore was charged with emotion and grace. His lines and silhouettes were simple, yet sophisticated, exuding power. Just take a look at this Instagram archive of his runway collections – less really was more. What I saw at Calvin Klein Collection yesterday, however, left me with a sad feeling of emptiness. It all looked like another variation of the generic minimalist grey (or rather, beige!) zone overtaking fashion. And it’s not even true minimalism; it’s stylized to look minimalist. We already have enough brands doing that – like Maximilian Davis’ Ferragamo or the aforementioned Jil Sander under the Meiers. These are collections you won’t remember in six months when they hit the stores. I doubt anyone will remember Leoni’s plaid shirt moment (how Matthieu Blazy for Bottega), the caped shirt (hello, Phoebe!), or yet another broad-shouldered camel coat that she presented. Kendall Jenner’s runway appearance and “CK One”-inspired mini-bags won’t help with the fashion amnesia.
Veronica Leoni’s first attempt to revive Calvin Klein’s runway line highlights just how ahead of his time Raf Simons was with his 205W39NYC concept. Instead of playing to the obvious Calvin trope of minimalism, he tackled another: Americana. And he delivered a short-lived but utterly memorable body of work, presenting the Calvin Klein legacy through a truly exciting lens. Good for Miuccia: she was quick to snap him up for Prada right after his New York stint.
Of course, it’s far too early to judge Veronica Leoni’s first collection at Calvin Klein. But if she plans to continue orbiting this plain-looking status quo, I doubt it will succeed. Women already have Khaite, and men have Fear of God. Meanwhile, across the Atlantic, labels like Lemaire, Phoebe Philo, Hed Mayner, and of course, The Row – now fully Paris-based, no surprise – that aren’t afraid to push the boundaries of what minimalism can mean (and look like).
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