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While big-name American designers are taking a season off from the runway, or from showing a new collection altogether, Khaite’s Catherine Holstein just staged her first-ever show in Brooklyn. It’s among many firsts she’s celebrating tonight: The show also included her first Khaite-branded shoes (in the past, they were designed with Manolo Blahnik), a trio of low-heeled, square-toe boots in leather and hand-painted pony. Earlier this week, she also revealed an unlikely—and surprisingly chic!—Adidas sneaker collaboration on Instagram, which appeared on the runway, too; and nearly every look in the show was styled with a handbag from her brand-new line, Khaite Luggage.
First thing’s first: Why handbags? On one hand, Holstein envisions Khaite as a complete wardrobe; after quietly adding belts and lingerie to her repertoire, bags were a natural next step. It’s also worth pointing out that the bags she designed—slim cross-body pouches, box-frame baguettes, structured “envelope pleat” totes, and ultrasoft XXL carryalls—are filling a gap in the market for clean yet striking bags in high-quality materials. (They also come in at a relatively untapped price point. The bags start at $880, while most brands have inched well into the four-figure range, even for their smaller bags.)
“When I started Khaite, it was because I really couldn’t find the things I wanted to wear every day,” Holstein explained in a preview. “I travel so much now and was having trouble finding the right bag—one that was big enough [for all of my things], or small enough to fit into the bigger bag . . . . I’m always trying to downsize.” She pointed out the giant tote in a luxuriously “floppy” unstructured leather, and said it actually fits more than her regular suitcase. “I wanted to be able to throw everything in it, because sometimes you don’t even know your destination,” she added. “That’s very much my life now. With all of the production we do in Italy and everything I do in Paris, I’m always changing my flights and I don’t know what to pack, so I just put everything I cherish in one bag and go.”
Plenty of women will see her giant tote and cross-body sack as blessings in a post–Phoebe Philo world, but you can’t really compare Khaite to Celine, or any brand, for that matter. It launched on Instagram and has grown in its own organic, untraditional way—and established a highly specific mood and vibe. That’s something even decades-old heritage brands struggle to figure out. As far as references, Holstein was mainly looking at luggage from the turn of the 20th century, when women first began to travel alone. “We did a lot of research on the history of luggage, and wanted to make sure we had a fully intentioned line,” she said. “Calling it ‘luggage’ felt right, because it’s more than handbags. It [goes back to] how we’ve said Khaite isn’t just clothes, it’s a movement.”
The bags are launching exclusively on Khaite’s website tomorrow morning (and are available to preorder through March 3), but we have a feeling Holstein’s retailers will be eager to get their hands on the next round. Scroll through the debut collection above, and place your order on khaite.com.
