The Next Big Thing: Houghton Fall 2014
Style.com | February 2014
Everyone knows their Marcs from their Calvins. But as fashion month kicks into gear, we’ll be spotlighting the up-and-coming designers and indie brands whose names you’ll want to remember.
Label: Houghton, designed by Katharine Polk
Need to know: Staying the course, designer Katharine Polk upped the volume for Fall with a collection inspired by Houghton’s perennial muse, silver-screen icon Katharine Hepburn. Not a simple feat—after all, how easy is it to abide by Hepburn’s boyish aesthetic and still win the approval of pretty young things AnnaSophia Robb and Dascha Polanco, both at yesterday’s show? Sure as fire, Polk returned with sweeping silhouettes and cinched-in waists in neutral shades of camel, charcoal, black, and ivory. “There goes my morning wake-up call,” mused Kelly Rowland from the front row. Was it her cell phone alarm or the crowd buzzing?
With in-house production now in place, Polk said that she was finally free to concentrate on draping. The overall mood was of drama and texture, reinforced by the elephant sleeves on gowns and high-waisted trousers with inverted pleating. But the collection’s biggest draw was the trenchcoat—oversized and warm in silk jacquards and mohair. Other notable pieces included Breton-stripe tops, polka-dot dresses in shimmery chiffon, and a hefty motorcycle jacket. A season of menswear classics distilled with a soft, feminine charm is upon us.
She says: “This season was a new kind of voyage,” said Polk. “I really went for a lot of volume.”
Where to find it: Net-a-porter.com, Barneys New York, Revolve Clothing, Nordstrom, and shopbop.com.