Photo: Courtesy of Kimberly Ovitz

 

Kimberly Ovitz has ventured into Pre-Fall territory for the first time this season with a collection of more than 40 black, white, and cool metallic pieces, some of whose silhouettes may look familiar—a double-take the business savvy 26-year-old designer wholly intended. Ovitz’s designs aren’t flashy for flashy’s sake, but they are unique, statement-making, and on the backs of Chloë Sevigny and Olivia Wilde (to name only two), an impressive achievement when you consider her first RTW collection launched less than a year and a half ago. I recently had the chance to talk to the ’05 Brown University grad about her new collection, what it was like to increase her annual design-load by a third (“definitely a challenge”), and why she looks to industry titans Rick Owens and Ralph Lauren for more than just design inspiration.

Though pleasantly, I was surprised to find out you were doing Pre-Fall this year. That’s pretty unusual for someone who’s only designed three collections—what made you decide to do it?

I thought it was a good time to put together a collection that really focused on comfort and androgyny. Lots of knits, sweaters, less structure, more dressed-down than my usual designs.

Also, I did a lot of research, looked at customer feedback, and figured out which of my pieces from earlier collections sold well. I used that information to design sort of, updated takes on the pieces that my customers really responded to.

So you actually looked at your financials and took that into consideration when creating this new collection? Is this the academic in you coming out?

Yeah, I was pretty hands-on about it. I’m a designer, but I’m also really attuned to the business side of things. I look at it as half creative and half business.

As a customer, I love that approach, because it means you’re paying attention to what it is we love about your clothing and making it accessible for more than just a single season.

Totally. I think it’s always important to reflect on what’s been successful, what the consumer, especially these days, is willing to spend her money on and apply that to the next collection. There were certain pieces in my FW09 collection like the ‘Jacob’ dress and the ‘Sherman’ skinny pant, that stores literally couldn’t keep up with the demand for, so in this collection, I started with those designs and just tweaked them: shortened the hems, changed the fabrics, maybe did a different sleeve.

I can personally attest to the fact that the ‘Jacob’ dress has been impossible to find, so thank you for doing this!

That’s so nice to hear. You’re welcome!

How hard was it to add another entire collection to your workload?

It was definitely a challenge, but I love what I do, and I’m grateful to be doing what I’m doing, so it was worth it.

You’re from LA and you still design from there, yet your clothes don’t really fit the stereotypical West Coast aesthetic. Who do you design for?

I always think about what I like, and what I’d like to wear, and also what my friends want to wear. I went to school on the East Coast, and I’ve worked in Paris (Ovitz interned with Karl Lagerfeld at Chanel for a summer), so I have those influences, but ultimately, my clothes are a product of my own personal taste.

Speaking of personal taste, whose clothing do you like to mix with your own?

My favorite designers are Ann Demeulemeester and Rick Owens. They’re really the only lines I wear besides my own. I admire Ralph Lauren, too, but more for his business model. When you think of him, you think of a certain lifestyle, and I would love to have that one day. When you walk into any of his stores—and this is true for Owens, too—everything from the décor to the music, even what you smell when you walk in the door, it’s all a part of this world he’s created. At the end of the day, fashion is a business, and he understands that better than almost anyone in the industry.

So you’re looking to expand from just clothing? What’s next? Shoes, I hope!

Oh, I definitely want to expand, and shoes and accessories will probably be the next step. I love shoes, and for my shows, I’m always finding what I want isn’t always available. It would be great not to have to compromise and design both the clothes and the shoes. I’m expanding to more international stores now (Ovitz designs are currently available and “selling really well” in boutiques in 12 countries, including the United Arab Emirates and Taiwan), so hopefully, within a year or two I can start to think about branching out from RTW.

For more information on Kimberly Ovitz and her designs, click over to her website.