There is a yearning for joy and optimism in the zeitgeist, and many designers are responding this spring 2025 season, even Cate Holstein, New York fashion’s reigning queen of darkness.
After her Khaite show Saturday night, she spoke about motherhood rounding out some of her hard edges, and making her feel more warmth in her life. “I’m a broken record talking about it, like I’m the first woman that ever had a child, but it has made such an impact on me,” she said of these happy days with her son who is 18 months.
Vive la difference! The show venue was intimate and well lit enough to see details, and the soundtrack soulful from start to finish, from G&R’s “November Rain,” to Wilco, Leonard Cohen to Primal Scream. Songs that really made you feel something and clothes that did, too.
Expanding on the commercial success of her dreamy organza dresses, she went wild with sheer looks and layering, creating what may be the first major spring trend–sheer organza pants.
She showed them in a number of cool ways, in black under a slim pink organza funnel neck dress, in subtle pinstripes peeking out from a oversized double breasted black blazer, and in nude matched to a cropped sleeveless top of twisting organza tubes. There were also lots of lovely organza dresses with floating scarfy layers, whirled body-hugging ruching, or in modernist-looking sheer and opaque collaged T-shirt and tunic shapes.
Tailoring also loosened up, with a a standout butter yellow satin trench over a layered black sheer organza column and minidress, as well as blocky bolero jackets, and a take on tailcoat worn over shorts. And Holstein continued her streak of winning leather jackets in glossy black with the perfect slouch, and added a sexy-as-hell black leather dress with a white bustier peeking out.
In another departure from her slick aesthetic, Holstein delved into handcraft, with a fabulous black open weave crochet pompom skirt as hero piece, paired with a slouchy oversized black hand knit sweater, tights and T-bar pumps; plus tunics and skirts made of graphic white crochet circles, and nubby salt n’ pepper woven sets.
In the backstage scrum afterward, there was none of the usual refrain about the New York woman or “Taxi Driver,” grit and glamour. Instead, Holstein spoke from the heart, admitting that stepping out of her comfort zone filled her with doubt, even about her music choices. The risk paid off.