Khaite Resort 2026 collection channels a confident tension between contrasts, dark and light, raw and refined, soft and structured. Under the direction of founder and creative director Catherine Holstein, the brand leans into an aesthetic that welcomes contradiction. Her latest collection draws from her formative years in the 1990s, when fashion thrived on individuality and subcultures carved space for minimalism, grunge, and bohemian codes to evolve side by side.
Holstein treats complexity as an advantage. Her outerwear choices set the pace, starting with standout pieces in zebra-striped haircalf and plongé leather that hovers from the body in a high-low hem with a cape-like finish. The trench coat, a wardrobe standard, shifts shape through a dropped waist or cropped configuration. Elsewhere, cocoon jackets curl around the arms with curved sleeves and a stand collar, softening volume through structure.
Movement carries through the collection’s fluid silhouettes. Dresses and tops take on sharp personality through bias cuts, raw hems, asymmetry, and doubled plackets. Gathered details and built-in scarves shape the drape. Meanwhile, pants borrow from denim with looser fits and subtle pintuck finishes. A standout is the low-rise Karo jean, designed to rest on the hip, dyed in the vivid Lykens wash that takes artisans over 14 hours per pair to hand-process. Jersey finds new dimension through Japanese silks, lending even basic t-shirts a textured edge that evolves with wear.
Khaite’s color story embraces rich depth. Leopard-spotted lapin, toffee suede, sepia-toned wool, and distressed brown lambskin bring warmth to a base of neutral shades. Floral prints scatter across lightweight chiffon and organza, adding a jolt of energy to otherwise anchored silhouettes.
Knitwear remains essential and purposeful. Pieces carry a sculptural character that sharpens the line between comfort and structure. Lightweight silk basics pair with a wide-leg pant shaped by knitted pleats and designed without a center seam, allowing movement to guide the fit. Merino wool expands into full-length cardigans and flared dresses, while dense Milano-stitch jackets fasten with suede buttons for texture. Cashmere softens in relaxed pullover shapes and collared jackets designed to feel as effortless as a favorite knit. Holstein again pushes craft to its limits through hand-knitted striped dresses created by layering four yarns into one marled gradient, all assembled by New York artisans.
Footwear reinforces Khaite’s emphasis on form through smart material choices and precise sculpting. Boots dominate with a reinterpretation of the brand’s Empire hardware as an angular stiletto and a fresh take on cowboy classics stitched in pull-up leather. Pumps introduce mesh sheaths or working pockets on the toe box, while flats and sandals shift between crisp lines and flexible softness.
Accessories continue to evolve across materials and shape. The Blake bag, introduced last fall, returns in new finishes, from glossy calfskin to zebra haircalf. The Kye silhouette arrives with contrast paneling, while Olivia and Elena bags gain suede editions punctuated by signature studs. Smaller versions of the Lotus style expand the brand’s offerings into mini formats.
Signature hardware returns as jewelry and finishing elements. The Empire motif forms sculptural earrings, belts, and cuff bracelets. Even the Lotus tote reappears in miniature, sculpted in metal and suspended in the form of earrings, necklaces, and bangles that retain the curve of the original leather version.
Holstein’s Resort 2026 offering doesn’t settle for easy themes. She embraces the irregular and contradictory, where softness cuts through structure and every piece plays a role in a larger dialogue of contrasts.
