KHAITE Pre-Fall 2026 collection arises from a question Catherine Holstein asked throughout her design process: what is the “right way” to wear something, and how should a garment sit on the body? The designer shaped the lineup while pregnant with her second child, observing how clothes shifted with each physical change and recalling the same heightened awareness she felt as a teenager. This experience set the foundation for a collection that inspects fit, form, and the instinctive relationship women build with their wardrobes.
Holstein approached the season by gently disrupting familiar proportions. She twisted seams around the torso, nudged buttons off-center, and calibrated sharp jackets with subtle asymmetry. These choices produce silhouettes that sit deliberately, encouraging the wearer to feel each adjustment. She connects this approach with her core intention for the brand: she designs to serve women. Comfort and functionality guide her decisions, and this season became an opportunity to test the boundaries of each silhouette while keeping the pieces grounded in daily use. “Reimagining traditional form, while staying true to the brand,” she said, noting that she wanted to bring opposing elements together without sacrificing clarity.
Leather holds a central role, seen in firm jackets with sculpted lines and trousers that frame the leg with structure. One of the most talked-about pieces sits at the other end of the spectrum: an ultra-cropped plongé leather jacket with a stealth-like profile. Specialty hand-done knitted and knotted tulle sets add movement and texture, giving the collection a second, more tactile rhythm. Shades such as ruby, powder, ice blue, midnight navy, ice green, artichoke, olive, and espresso create a temperature-based palette that moves between cool sharpness and grounded depth.
Footwear introduces one of the season’s most distinctive ideas. The pointed square-toe shoes appear flat when worn but curl upward when placed on a shelf. The effect provides a strong visual marker and sets the design apart within the broader accessories offering. These shoes accompany a new wave of bags, including a smaller Joan, a fringe version of the Lotus, and a clutch-size Blake. Holstein continues her accessories partnership with Oliver Peoples as well, adding new sunglasses to the collection alongside menswear-inspired loafers and updated Lotus-shaped jewelry with suede details.
A reference to the ‘90s appears through what Holstein describes as feminized grunge. The lookbook features an off-the-shoulder hand-draped pink dress with Venetian-inspired gathers and related long skirts, echoing her interpretation of a grunge prom dress. Popcorn knits extend the sense of playfulness, while oversize waffle knits with unfinished hems introduce volume through texture.
KHAITE Pre-Fall 2026 presents a clear point of view: clothes that hold shape with intention, carry comfort through construction, and invite the wearer to reconsider how a garment sits on the body.
