KITH just opened a spacious 5,500 sq. ft. space on Rodeo Drive, its second location in Los Angeles. Understandably, this was also the inspiration for its spring collection. “If you look at the store, you see a lot of travertine and these different colored marbles,” KITH’s creative director Ronnie Fieg explained via Zoom the day after the store’s opening party. “The monochromatic feel of the collection, the beige, the light colors and the texture, but more importantly, the sense of luxury that we did at Rodeo really came through in the clothes.”
For several seasons Since then, Fieg has focused on KITH’s fabrics and materials to closely reflect his personal interests and reflect his personal style. “When people think of me and the brand, I really want them to start looking at fabrics and make us famous for our fabrics,” says Fieg. “I never wanted to charge for a logo.”
This was evident in the Bulgarian pinstripe reversible weave fabric that the brand has been using for several seasons. Fieg considered it part of KITH’s “Suits” collection—and it was on full display in the collection’s final look. A short-sleeve shirt and matching pants are finished in black and gray pinstripes. The shirt is worn open as a jacket over a white T-shirt and a vest. It’s all in a very effortless elegance.
Patchwork is a big theme this season, most successfully in knitwear, including cardigans made from panels of different knit sizes: fine rib, cable knit, etc., a One is tan, oatmeal and off-white, and the other is a cheerful palette of aqua, lime and gray. Elsewhere, a paneled suede jacket was treated to a ribbed texture that at first glance resembled corduroy. “It’s the same suede that’s imported from England that’s used for Clarks; they use that suede on the wallabies, so we took that fabric and applied it to the jacket,” explains Fieg. “It’s probably the most luxurious outerwear in the collection.” Clarks has long been a collaborator with KITH, and this season, Fieg took the collaboration a step further by including adidas. His take on the popular adidas Samba shoe features Clarks’ signature crepe sole.
Paisley prints are a staple of the KITH collection and there are plenty of them here. A lightweight jacket and matching shorts in quilted lightweight cotton poplin (worn under a utilitarian jacket for a little edge) were printed with a crowded paisley pattern, like unattended vines. On a Japanese indigo wash coach jacket, the paisley pattern was deconstructed into elements and separated into separate panels, which were then pieced together. Below, a navy and white intarsia knit also showcases the paisley print’s signature curvilinear shapes, pushing further into new territory.
