Kate and Kass
Putting a playful twist on retro chic, Kate and Kass founder Anya Teresse brings a youthful eye to a classic aesthetic. Gleaning inspiration from 1960s films and female icons—including Jane Fonda, Jackie Onassis and Gloria Steinem—the Los Angeles designer clearly has a passion for vintage style.
“Kate and Kass is inspired by singers, writers, artists, iconoclasts, movers and shakers,” Teresse explained. “I’ve always been inspired by women leaders. The line honors women who stood up for what they believed in, in every aspect of their lives, especially through their style of dress. Each dress is named after a great woman, a woman who changed the world.”
Retro looks are modernized with ultra-comfy fabrics and contemporary details. Launched for the Spring 2006 season, Teresse’s California-made label has garnered the attention of Barneys New York, ShopBop, Diavolina, Nordstrom and Intermix, among others. A former costume designer, Teresse studied fashion design at Parsons in Paris and Otis in Los Angeles before launching her line.
Teresse said the A-line body is the signature silhouette in the line, and she incorporates the shape into every collection with modifications and new details. Specializing in “loose, drapey, free-flowing” silhouettes, Teresse said she is drawn the rebelliousness of such cuts.
“They represent a kind of femininity that defies confinement and celebrates freedom,” she said. “The free-flowing silhouettes rebel against the constraining, binding fashions that, I feel, are exhausted in contemporary style.”
For Spring 2008, Teresse expanded on her formula of muted tones and flowing fabrics with more dresses with lots of movement and a retro modern aesthetic. Working with cotton gauze, cotton Modal and silk charmeuse, Teresse used prints that “are reminiscent of the floral patterns from the ’70s” for the latest collection. “I feel like the soul of the line is still the same, and I’m still expressing the same very personal aesthetic, but I think the line has more depth and character now than a year ago,” she said. “I’m able to use a wider range of fabrics, and I’ve introduced a broader color palette. It is still a line that is based on having a strong sense of individuality.”
As for her personal favorites from the Spring 2008 line, she said: “I live in the ’Jessica Benjamin,’ ’Gloria Steinem’ and ’Mary E. Walker.’ I wear the ’Ingrid Newkirk’ to cocktail parties and the ’Eve Ensler’ to formal events.”
Wholesale prices range from $55 to $140.
For more information, contact the Em Productions showroom, located in suite 402 of the Cooper Design Space, or visit www.kateandkass.com.—D.S.
