July 21 2016
WHO IS THE NEHERA CUSTOMER?
SAMUEL DRIRA: It’s a woman who is not afraid of experimenting with the complexity and novelty, but also prefers the comfort of forgetting what she is wearing rather than the feeling of being disguised.
WHAT INSPIRED YOUR PRE-FALL 2016 COLLECTION?
DRIRA: Main inspiration was the contrast between fluidity and structure. The combination of a neat but cosy piece - jacket or coat - with an element that drapes or wraps in order to blur the lines.
WHAT IS YOUR UNIFORM?
DRIRA: White t-shirt, destructured pleated pants, and anything from Levi‘s to duster on top.
DESCRIBE THE AESTHETIC OF YOUR HOME.
DRIRA: Nomadic and still unpacked.
WHAT DO YOU DO TO RELAX?
DRIRA: Swimming relaxes me the most.
SHOP THE COLLECTION HERE.
July 12 2016 NOW OPEN
Kick Pleat Houston
KICK PLEAT HOUSTON
2656 Kirby Drive
Houston, Texas 77019
(713) 528-1112
May 12 2016 
WHO IS THE STUDIO NICHOLSON CUSTOMER?
NICK: Our woman knows her quality and design - she understands her style DNA. She is not bothered by trends and the latest and greatest fad. Our woman wants well cut, well manufactured garments that make her feel strong and powerful. She wants no fuss and she has no time to plan ahead what she wants to wear in the morning. Studio Nicholson offers a solution by creating considered pieces that are carefully engineered to provide structure and elegance, forming the basis for the ultimate modular wardrobe. I’d say that.
WHAT INSPIRED YOUR SPRING 2016 COLLECTION?
NICK: I am always inspired by architecture and in particular Japanese architecture which got me thinking about architects and designers- in my mind I dreamed up this really artistic woman who was consumed with creating, it could be me! The Spring ’16 collection is about the artist in all of us, I wanted to offer a decisive wardrobe so that the wearer is free to create. Pared back construction and details bring a utilitarian approach to the Studio Nicholson uniform, lending to the idea that the end justifies the means. Purposeful workwear fabrics from authentically sourced mills sit alongside our more familiar Italian cloth which have been selected for their soft tactile finish, integrating texture to the collection. These fabrications build silhouettes that are pure, yet complex.
WHAT IS YOUR UNIFORM?
NICK: A Studio Nicholson made in England shirt, Japanese denim in various guises but more often than not its a mens jean, I am lost without my Le Gramme rose gold bracelet and my found wedding ring. Everyday I look at it and wonder who it belongs to. Lots of Santa Maria Novella Gold Musk - can’t leave home without my scent.
DESCRIBE THE AESTHETIC OF YOUR HOME.
NICK: I value light and space more than things, but the furniture I have and covet most are mid century modern, I own a lot of Danish designed pieces. I am a tidy freak.
WHAT IS YOUR GO-TO BEAUTY PRODUCT?
NICK: Elta MD lotion - it works like skin.
HOW DO YOU FIND BALANCE IN YOUR LIFE?
NICK: I dream a lot - I am an excellent sleeper and cram in as much as is humanely possible for a busy lady.
SHOP THE COLLECTION HERE.
May 06 2016
Kick Pleat owner Wendi Martin travels to Paris every season to find some of our favorite collections. Photography by Ashley Garmon.
WHO IS THE BUILDING BLOCK CUSTOMER?
Someone who carries themselves with refinement and ease. Who mindfully chooses their accessories or lack of accessories within the context of their lifestyle.
WHAT INSPIRED YOUR SPRING 2016 COLLECTION?
Warm neutrals, earth tones.
WHAT IS YOUR UNIFORM?
NANCY: Navy or white; Wire bracelets soldered on both wrists; A cup of coffee
KIMBERLY: XL tops, lagenlook easy wear, hair up.
DESCRIBE THE AESTHETIC OF YOUR HOME.
NANCY: Ample windows; native plants inside and out; a grumpy cat.
KIMBERLY: 20's Spanish house with warm woods, soft corners, accents of Chinese and Japanese objects, and occasional flowers. 1 beige cat and 1 beige dog who tend to shed a lot.
HOW DO YOU MAINTAIN BALANCE IN YOUR LIFE?
NANCY: Making sure there is always time for a solo morning walk or quick swim in the ocean.
KIMBERLY: (Trying to) Leave work at work, focusing on making the home a comfort to come back to.
WHAT IS YOUR GO-TO BEAUTY PRODUCT?
NANCY: Hinoki cypress bath packs.
KIMBERLY: Yu-be hand cream. It smells nostalgically medicinal and is a blessing in California weather.
SHOP THE COLLECTION HERE.
WHO IS THE JESSE KAMM WOMAN?
JESSE:
She is a girl who is just like me. A girl who is independent and strong. A girl who thinks for herself, and has a clear sense of who she is and where she is going. This girl does not need to look at a magazine to learn what to wear this season. She is timeless. She is a leader. People look to her and mimic what she is doing, not the other way around.
WHAT INSPIRED THE SPRING 2016 COLLECTION?
JESSE: SS 2016 marked the 10 year anniversary of the JK collection. I wanted to go back to the beginning and reference the roots of the collection as a means of coming full circle. My collection had become quite minimal and Japanese over the past few years, and I wanted to bring a little of the glamour back. The shapes did not change much, but the styling did, and that was really fun for me.
When I started the collection I was Obsessed with Halston, Zandra Rhodes, Jean Muir, and the 70’s glamour that went with all of that. Angelica Houston, Lauren Hutton, Studio 54, Yves Saint Laurent, Andy Warhol, Mick Jagger, and the whole New York scene.
I brought back the long dresses tied at the waist with the obi belt, which was a mainstay in my early work. I made a nod to DVF with my version of the wrap dress, and I brought in all that good 70’s color… the baby blue, terracotta, and brick.
When we shot the lookbook, we called it “The Anniversary Party”. We referenced all of these black and white paparazzi shots of Lauren Hutton going to and fro these amazing parties. There was always some random dude standing in the background, and she was always with a different fella. We tried to capture all of that. The era, the light, the strange men, the hot cars. I love this collection so much. I feel so proud of how far I have come. When I started designing I felt like it was going to end soon, and I would do something else. I thought people would loose interest in me, and I did not have much faith in my ability. I no longer feel that way. I can see myself doing this for a long long time.
WHAT IS YOUR UNIFORM?
JESSE:
Sailor pants, button down, hat, sunglasses, bare feet when I can get away with it.
DESCRIBE THE AESTHETIC OF YOUR HOME.
JESSE: I grew up in the country in the midwest. My parents were hippies. They built everything in our world. Our home, our furniture, the art on the walls, and the stoneware in the cupboards. We lived in nature. We camped, and hiked, we swam, we made music and art. We did not have much. We were very happy. I learned mindfulness and minimalism from them. My home in Mt Washington very much feels like the home I grew up in. It also feels like the home my husband and I built in Panama. It is all congruent, It all references the came thing. Clean, Spartan, functional, comfortable. It is based around nature, and filled with things we have built and collected. There is nothing in my home that is not cherished. It is all essential. That is how I live my life, nothing in excess. This rings true for my whole existence, and includes the collection as well. Someone referred to my collection recently as “lean and restrictive”, they meant it as a negative. I love that description of my brand as a whole. That is what it is. That is my world. Lean and restrictive... And happy. Very Happy.
WHAT IS YOUR GO-TO BEAUTY PRODUCT?
JESSE:
The papaya moisturizer from Ruth's Skin Care.
SHOP THE COLLECTION HERE.
Image 1 by Tom Slack
Image 2-5 by Katrina Dickson
March 20 2016 
WHO IS THE CARON CALLAHAN WOMAN?
CARON: She's confident, creative, light-hearted, curious. I hope she has fun with clothes and doesn't take fashion too seriously.
WHAT INSPIRED YOUR SPRING 2016 COLLECTION?
CARON: I'm always inspired by Japan, military/workwear, indigo/denim, shirt dresses, interesting layers and volume; these references always excite me. Instead of each season telling a singular story, I like focusing more on building a woman's wardrobe that goes back to these references that I love. Spring 2016 started with the idea of a Japanese farmer from the 1940s, wrapped in an indigo apron and grew from there.
WHAT IS YOUR UNIFROM:
CARON: I like to have fun with clothes, I love military/workwear paired with something either really structural and/or feminine. Lately I've been wearing many layers of indigo from my collection and pairing it with a really girly heeled maryjane. If I'm not wearing pieces from my collection or vintage, I'm try something fun like an old Comme des Garcons piece or something from Rowena Sartin.
DESCRIBE THE AESTHETIC OF YOUR HOME.
CARON: Lived in. The average person entering our place might say we have too many textiles, too many books, and too many shoes in our apartment.
WHAT IS YOUR GO-TO BEAUTY PRODUCT?
CARON: Doctor Hauschka's tinted toner and a creamy blush go along way for my fair skin.
HOW DO YOU MAINTAIN BALANCE IN YOUR LIFE?
CARON: It's really challenging but spending time with my daughter and husband always help. My work stresses usually diminish when I listen to my daughter talk about life at preschool. As I learn to cook better, preparing dinner with a glass of wine nearby is becoming enjoyable self time.
SHOP THE COLLETICTION HERE.
March 07 2016
WHO IS THE YUNE HO WOMAN?
YUNE: There are various words that always come up when I talk about Yune Ho customer: Clever, well-mannered, confident and laid back…but I do not like to define who is the customer or muse for my collection. The girls who feel confident and beautiful in Yune Ho are all of my ideal customers.
WHAT INSPIRED YOUR SPRING 2016 COLLECTION?
YUNE: “The Apotheosis of Melancholy” is the main concept for this collection. I often get inspirations from my visual experiences. What I’ve seen usually becomes my inspiration. But for this collection, I got the inspiration from my emotional experience while I was traveling in Berlin in 2005. The “Melancholy” exhibition in Berlin at the time was very impressive enough to last so long and it’s still very strong in my mind. According to German philosopher, Emmanuel Kant, the feeling of melancholy associated with beauty and the sublime creates the sweet and noble mood both physically and emotionally and I tried to reflect this mood to the collection.
WHAT IS YOUR UNIFORM?
YUNE: Mostly, easy fit pant, button down shirt and cashmere crewneck sweater and sneaker. Basic and Practical are the words could describe my uniform.
DESCRIBE THE AESTHETIC OF YOUR HOME.
YUNE: Minimal, comfortable and a hint of Wabisabi. It’s pretty much same as my uniform in everyday. Keeping home very simple and basic is the way I can balance the life and work. I do deal with thousand of colors, details and textures to develop the collection every season. So my home is the place I can clean the mind between works.
HOW DO YOU MAINTAIN BALANCE IN YOUR LIFE?
YUNE: As I mentioned, keeping everyday life simple and basic. When I work, of course, 24 hours are never enough, I always run run run. However, I’ve tried to be a bit slow, at least when I am home. Playing with my dog and watching stupid tv shows…
SHOP THE COLLECTION HERE.
February 20 2016