Back To The Core. Khaite Resort 2027

June 4, 2026 | Design & Culture by Ed

Cate Holstein‘s Khaite works best when it isn’t burdened by the theatrics – or the demands – of a fashion show. The newly released resort 2027 lookbook presents the clothes with clarity, and relatability. It also suggests that Holstein is returning to the core of her brand, which wasn’t always quite so serious as we’ve got used to in the past seasons.

The collection’s fashion-statement rigidity has given way to chunky knits and denim – the pieces that formed Khaite’s foundation when the label launched a decade ago. Sometimes, nothing feels more appealing than an oversized sweater that looks as though it has been borrowed from your boyfriend’s closet, paired with an inherently cool black leather skirt and oversized sunglasses.

What Holstein does with flesh-revealing cutouts – particularly in bolero jackets and dresses – is especially worth noting. Khaite began as the kind of brand where effortlessly stylish it-girls, seemingly unaware of their own appeal, might shop. Some of that spirit was lost as the label evolved, but this collection suggests it has found its way back.

ED’s SELECTION:

KHAITE Aimee Calf Hair Sandals

KHAITE Danielle Stretch High-waist Straight-leg Jeans

KHAITE Nora Cashmere Cardigan

KHAITE Jett Leather Mini Skirt

KHAITE Cate Leather-trimmed Calf Hair Tote

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
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A Lot. Khaite AW26

February 17, 2026 | Design & Culture by Ed

Cate Holstein is clearly in an experimental phase, determined to prove that Khaite is not merely Khaite, but a force of “big fashion.” Her work moves in waves: at times it lands with precision; at others, it simply doesn’t cohere.

In this collection, there were genuinely strong moments ideas that might have resonated more sharply had they been further refined and sublimated. Yet these were counterbalanced by multiple narrative detours that made the overall line-up difficult to read. I appreciated the opening looks, with their slinky velvet outerwear and leather pieces (which, quite frankly, evoked Frida Giannini’s tenure at Gucci), as well as the charming monkey paintings that appeared as prints on a sheer shirt. The gesture of wearing black gloves beneath transparent muslin also felt inventive and visually intriguing. READ MY FULL REVIEW HERE.

ED’s SELECTION:

KHAITE Sabina Cashmere Sweater

KHAITE Kye Calf Hair Clutch

KHAITE Boyle Cropped Low-rise Jeans

KHAITE Eva Leather Sock Boots

Oliver Peoples x Khaite 1989c Round-frame Acetate And Gold-tone Sunglasses

KHAITE Cordelia Cropped Leather Jacket

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
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Assured. Khaite Pre-Fall 2026

December 9, 2025 | Design & Culture by Ed

You know I haven’t been Khaite’s biggest fan in recent seasons, but Catherine Holstein’s pre-fall 2026 lineup arrives with a refreshing sense of clarity. Women have long gravitated toward the New York–based brand for its leather pieces, and they’ll be more than satisfied with the no-nonsense black jacket here – cool, streamlined, and completely assured. The same goes for a sculptural little black dress with deliberately off-kilter proportions, and for crisp white shirts punctuated by oversized, almost meaty bows tied at the neck. In essence, Holstein has returned to making clothes that resist arty posturing in favor of genuine wardrobe enhancement.

There’s also an unexpected dose of playfulness, particularly in the ruched pink dresses: one in vintage-washed silk charmeuse, the other in what she calls “light veil silk.” Holstein frames this season’s experimentation through two lenses – Courtney Love’s grunge sensibility and her own evolving experience of motherhood. She explains that after having two babies, her body changed so dramatically that “as things weren’t fitting anymore, but I still wanted to wear them, it led to this kind of questioning: What’s the right way to wear something? The right way for things to fit?” Embracing what she now calls “bad fits” became both a creative and personal shift.

That shift also sparked a new impulse: when she encounters something “really sleek and standard,” she now feels compelled to disrupt it – “to break these boundaries I’ve put on myself for so many years.” In doing so, Holstein finds a freer, more instinctive way of dressing, one that gives this collection its renewed confidence and ease.

ED’s SELECTION:

KHAITE Aimee Asymmetric One-shoulder Wool-blend Peplum Top

KHAITE Simona Leather-trimmed Leopard-print Calf Hair Shoulder Bag

KHAITE Mags Silk-gazar Mini Dress

KHAITE Ember Gathered Silk-gazar Maxi Skirt

KHAITE Cloak Studded Leather Mules

KHAITE Elona Leather Jacket

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
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Overdressed. Khaite SS26

September 15, 2025 | Design & Culture by Ed

For the past few seasons, Khaite’s Catherine Holstein has been trying far too hard to make a fashion statement. She seems intent on proving her brand is ‘more.’ Yet, just like last season, her latest collection is overcrowded with unnecessary volumes and overworked design gestures. Geometric foldings, unflattering cuts, exaggerated padding, crafty weavings, oversized ruffles, and fur pompons leave her woman looking overdressed – and confused. The polka dots in the finale looks with gathered maxi skirts? Actually fun. They were clearly inspired by Rei Kawakubo’s Comme des Garçons. Perhaps the Khaite client should stop by Dover Street Market New York once in a while.

My biggest issue with this collection lies in all the in-between fillers. Coincidentally, COS presented its collection just a day after Khaite – and the high-street favorite of minimalists worldwide not only outshone Holstein’s so-called ‘less is more’ suits and eveningwear, but also made Calvin Klein Collection and many other New York–based labels look pale and plain by comparison this season.

I’m officially dubbing this phenomenon: ‘KHOS.’

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
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Mysterious Woman. Khaite AW25

February 10, 2025 | Design & Culture by Ed

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.