Katharine Polk Launches Debut Line at NYFW - Stardoll-baba

Photo: Courtesy of ELLEgirl

There’s a new designer on the block this Fashion Week, but she’s no stranger to the industry. After graduating from the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in L.A., Katharine Polk jetted to Manhattan to begin her design career as an in-house design assistant and stylist at Badgley Mischka, where she did everything from styling the label’s collections to helping produce fashion shows to creating accessories for the runway. After successfully working six seasons at Bryant Park and creating her own styling company, Katharine Polk Stylist, Polk is ready to launch her own fashion line. Houghton, Polk’s premiere collection, will debut at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week at Lincoln Center at the Grand Promenade in Avery Fisher Hall tomorrow. “I still felt like something was missing, and it still wasn’t my own,” Polk confessed of her styling days. So, in August 2011, Polk returned to designing. The idea for Houghton came to her after seeing a swatch of colors. After that, she expanded to sketch a couple of dresses and soon she was buying fabrics, developing the looks, and feeling the textures. She decided to combine simple and neutral palettes with more developed textures and fabrics. What began as five pieces turned into ten, and then a full ready-to-wear collection. Houghton was born. The entire collection can be summed up in two words: effortless chic. It’s made for independent women who want to look stylish and strong, like Polk’s female heroines who inspired the line: Katharine Hepburn (Polk’s namesake), Bianca Jagger, and Patti Smith. All of the dresses in the collection are named after these and other important women, who Polk smartly compared to the modern day Tilda Swinton. All 25 of Houghton’s pieces are clean, modern, and simple—there isn’t too much embellishment or over-the-top design. There are statement dresses, long tailored coats, and menswear-inspired suits, all in a soft palette of colors—mainly ivory, blush, and white—and luxurious fabrics like silk cashmere and satin-faced chiffon. The age bracket for these clothes runs the gamut, ranging from 18-40 years old. “A mother and a daughter can both wear pieces from the collection,” Polk said. “They are both fashion-conscious women that want pieces that are very easy to wear.” But stylish wears come at a steep price: Polk envisions the line being sold at stores like Barneys, Jeffries, and Bergdorf Goodman. In reference to her launch at Fashion Week, Polk replied sternly, “I either do it 110% or nothing at all.” And the budding designer did just that. She shot her lookbook and got her collection done very early, leaving ample time for production, castings, fittings, alterations, hair and makeup, and all of the other fun things that go into staging a runway show. One thing that Polk hopes to employ at the show tomorrow is a staged performance—she wants the pieces to move to highlight the quality of the luxe fabrics. Houghton has been well-received already. Pulls include celebrities such as Anne Hathaway, Michelle Williams, and Chloë Sevigny. We wish Katharine the best of luck at her debut tomorrow! Break a leg! Get a sneak peek of two Houghton looks below!