Weekend Update with Catherine Holstein

Over the weekend I went to Barney’s, which unlike my high school days, is an event (I rarely find myself north of 23rd street other than to get my haircut or waxed.) So walking onto the 8th floor of COOP, I had pretty low expectations of Vince, Splendid and Rogan to be splayed out in a mess as little girls rifled through them immediately squashing any real appeal. But instead, hidden in the corner was a humble rack of sweet frocks that caught my eye.

I was drawn to their simplicity - they had something the other baby dolls did not…thought. These smart pieces seemed sadly discarded, but they were fawning for my attention. A 1920s halter dress in eggshell with ivory buttons running down the front, a tuxedo style silk jumper and a creamy drop back shift with loose pockets in the front embodied a retro feel yet were more contemporary than anything else on the floor.

I looked at the label- Catherine Holstein. Eureka. I’ve seen this 23-year old’s photo on Style.com for ages arm in arm with Victoria Traina and the Proenza boys with the caption “designer” below. Sure, everyone is a designer these days but I had no idea who she or her work was.

After some research I found her Teen Vogue article in June 06 and it was her sailor dress that Mischa wore last summer, albeit in a completely un-chic way. But why did she have such awful retail real estate? And why haven’t I heard of her??

Final Word: It’s official; I have a crush. In the end, I left with only one of Miss Holstein’s dress, but could’ve left with four. And I can’t stop thinking about my dress let alone the others I left on the racks. Perhaps I’ll have to make my trip uptown a weekly occasion…