Fashion Design

The Meaning and Inspiration Behind the Kate Stoltz Spring/Summer 2018 Collection Posted on 27 Apr 11:57 , 12 comments

The Kate Stoltz 2018 Spring/Summer Collection was designed for urban women living in an environment where square space is as coveted as privacy. Black quickly became the primary color for the collection. Every piece was designed to be easy to style, but with precisely placed details that carried out the inspiration and ideas that tied the pieces together.

While the images that inspired the collection came from a recent trip to Greece, the current events in the world also impacted the decisions made in textiles, style lines, silhouettes and color. Political tensions in the United States and the sobering reality that 'Me too' was more common among women than I had ever imagined prompted a more somber approach. The 'Me Too' movement prompted me to think about women's clothing differently and focus on strength rather than sexuality. A tailored wool dress with a pick stitch, tailored merino wool flare dress pants were designed to celebrate the women stepping forward and taking over industries and defying boundaries in their careers and personal lives. Darker colors, long sleeves, midi skirts and suiting was influenced by the typical well dressed male wardrobe that focuses on presentation and tailoring rather than sexual attraction.

The Abstract Heart Blouse was created with a desire of seeing some love and understanding in the midst of the chaos stemming from the political circumstances. The bright red, an expression of wanting to break away from the heaviness I felt in the midst of an angry protest, or when seeing two sides resort to name calling to defend their point instead of having productive conversations. It's a request for people to see other people's opinions and traditions with an open heart, willing to listen to why they feel the way they do, then making decisions based on facts and the good of humanity. To work together and focus on love instead of hatred.

Maggie Duckworth, a stylist in New York City reached out to me with a request to borrow a couple pieces from the collection for an editorial project with NYC fashion photographer Emmanuel Faure. Together with her style team, Maggie paired the Abstract Heart Blouse with the Feathery Pillar Skirt, a red beret and red shoes. The large team worked together to produce an image that gave the pieces life. It's projects like these that assure me that humans can work together to create something beautiful if we have the patience to openly listen to each other's ideas.

Thank you:

Photographer: Emmanuel Faure

Style Team

Maggie Duckworth

Erin Galligan

Ofry Beladona

Saray Franco Lvi

Emma Gorelik

Lee-Ann Laville

Make-up Artist: Gil Aldrin

Model: Stephanie Santiago

Photographer's Assistant: Max McGerry

Designer: Kate Stoltz

Pieces used in the editorial:

Abstract Heart Blouse

Feathery Pillar Skirt

To see the entire Spring/ Summer 2018 Kate Stoltz collection, visit:

Spring/Summer 2018 Collection

XOXO, Kate Stoltz

Kate Stoltz Photographed by Dorian Clive Posted on 6 Mar 06:00 , 7 comments

I shaved one side of my head in the summer of 2014 to experiment with different looks, and the resulting different reactions to those looks in everyday encounters. The bold hairstyle was done in a way that could be hidden, simply by combing my hair over the shaved side. Part of the reason why I wanted to try the hairstyle was because I wanted something new. Part of it was rebellion, and the rest was from simply not caring what other people thought about how I wore my hair.

The way people responded to me when the shaved side was exposed was a fascinating social experiment. People were more casual, less respectful and assumed I was less responsible than when I covered the shaved side. It proved once again that the way you present yourself on the outside is incredibly important to first impressions, and how people assume you are on the inside. While I am 99.999 percent certain that I will never do that to my hair again, I love the edgy photos that New York City fashion photographer Dorian Clive captured as a result.

Be bold, fearless, and don't be afraid to experiment! (as long as you stay safe). You're only young once.
XO-Kate Stoltz