Inside Khaite’s new SoH0 store: Let’s see it together

Hello Beauties!

I recently stopped by Khaite's flagship store and wanted to tell you about my experience!

The label opened just a few weeks ago its new store in SoHo, an austere space marked by an exquisite minimalism.

A special location for the designer since SoHo is where Khaite was born. Cate Holstein herself says that each element of the brand is shaped by New York, so when creating her store she thought of making this space a cultural tribute to the city.

THE INSPO

The store was designed by Holstein's husband, architect Griffin Frazen, who sought to create a place with few distractions that would not interfere with his wife's aesthetic.

To bring his vision to life, the architect used industrial materials such as rolled steel, troweled cement plaster and concrete to give the space a monochromatic look with great depth. Curved forms like industrial metal sculptures -alla Richard Serra- characterized the venue. An environment with visible marks of material fabrication, textured and rough elements gave the architecture a dramatic and mysterious essence.

Among his main inspirations Frazen mentions Brutalism, an aesthetic that believes in the purity of structure and truth in materials that we identify with.

THE PLACE

The place is invaded by different alcoves delimited by curved steel structures that invite us to walk through different sectors of the store. At the same time, we find small shelves on the walls where accessories such as glasses, handbags and shoes are displayed.

when you walk into the store you feel how a linear light coming from the ceiling invites you to walk through it and guides you to a tree at the end of the corridor known as 'Shady Lady' (Black Olive) which is under a glazed skylight that receives natural light.

Catherine Holstein said "Everything we do has a darkness to it", and I think that is exactly reflected in the place. The shades of gray and the existing light sources generate a contrast that invites us to appreciate the brightness in the darkness.

Something that really caught my attention was the color of the fitting rooms: red. Small rooms entirely designed with this color: red carpet, red walls, red door. There’s no bolder design choice than the color red. All-red-everything is giving a completely monochromatic room that I loved because .... #LoliLovesMonochrome.

Finally, one of my favorite elements are the steel-wire mesh chairs that you see at the end of this video, which were custom-designed by Japanese artist Shiro Kuramata.

Undoubtedly, the experience at the store generated a lot of emotions that made me immediately understand the vision of the designer.