Holstein calls Khaite’s
pieces “cherished items”
rather than basics
“and it’s still an open-mic forum around here. I’ll ask
everybody—the women in the office and my friends:
‘Do you want it?’ ‘Would you wear it everyday?’
Anything you would admire but not pick up—those are
the things I don’t want in the collection.”
She’s about to open a showroom where online
customers can get acquainted with the Khaite feeling
one-on-one. The space will also be a testing ground for
her first brick-and-mortar store, slated to open soon in
New York. “Khaite is a downtown brand,” she says, but
the collection is resonating far beyond
lower Manhattan. Michelle Obama,
Lady Gaga, Emily Blunt, and Amandla
Stenberg have all been spotted in Khaite.
Tory Burch became a mentor of sorts
before Khaite launched. “Catherine sees
the strength in simplicity—great denim,
classic shirting,” she says. “It’s refreshing to see such
refinement in American sportswear.” Holstein, for her
part, relates to how Burch broke the mold. “She’s great at
saying, ‘Continue doing what you’re doing and don’t let
anybody tell you not to,’ ” Holstein says.
There’s little risk of that. The Khaite “feeling” that
Holstein’s always talking about? She describes it as a kind
of strong femininity. “The biggest trigger to me,” Holstein
says, “is when you say, ‘Oh, you can’t do that.’ My
strength comes from my independence.”—nicole phelps
Airbnb’s origin story is the stuff of Silicon Valley
lore: In 2007, a design conference came to San
Francisco. Sensing an opportunity to make some extra cash,
Brian Chesky and Joe Gebbia blew up three air mattresses
and advertised their quarters to attendees in search of
accommodations. Now, with the recent launch of Airbnb Luxe,
they’re moving beyond their inflatable-furniture days.
“It’s five-star everything,” says Chesky of the 2,000 tony
properties he has added to Airbnb’s listings. If the original
platform allows travelers to experience life like a local in an
Echo Park bungalow, Airbnb Luxe now shoots them straight to
Malibu’s Billionaire’s Beach. To qualify, rentals
must pass a rigorous 300-point screening;
a favorable champagne flute–to–guest ratio,
electric-car charger ports, and panoramic
ocean views all help a property raise its score.
A few addresses that made the cut: The Fleming
Villa, the Jamaican beachfront retreat where Ian Fleming
dreamed up James Bond; a Cannes château with a three-story
chandelier; and a French Polynesian island so private it operates
in its own time zone. The other Luxe properties extend from
Belize to Bali, Sydney to Santorini, Anguilla to the Amalfi Coast
and dozens of additional destinations. For those reluctant to embrace the
sharing-economy platform for its lack of concierge, all Airbnb Luxe rentals
come with “trip designers.” Call on them to organize a last-minute Pilates
session, a Napa wine tour, or even, should the mood strike, a wedding. Their
purpose, as Chesky tells it, is to create “magical travel moments.”
With all of Airbnb’s expansion, a vacation seems a ways off for the
cofounder. But if he does find the time, he already has his house picked out:
Te Kahu Villa, a secluded 50-acre estate on the shores of Lake Wanaka,
New Zealand. Even techies need to unplug.—ELISE TAYLOR
House Rich
NOTHING BUT
BLUE SKIES
TE KAHU VILLA
IN NEW
ZEALAND.
TRAVEL
the everyday luxuries she’s producing that have won
Khaite so many followers so quickly. Holstein, now 35,
“totally single” (she says, laughing) and living in a small
apartment off Washington Square Park, calls them
“cherished items” rather than basics or essentials because,
she says, “I don’t want them to be disposable.”
Despite her myriad commitments to the brand—
she’s both creative director and interim CEO—
Holstein still handles Khaite’s Instagram account.
Her only rule is to post once a day—otherwise, she
says, “it’s all instinct, no strategy.”
But Khaite is no longer an
“Instagram brand.” Holstein put
on her first show for fall 2019 in
February—the yellow leaves on
the runway were inspired by her
walks through her neighborhood.
“I started feeling like New York had an exciting pulse
again,” she said, singling out other young brands like
Eckhaus Latta and Bode. “You see a lot of Europe
referencing New York right now, though I don’t think
the world quite realizes it. It felt like our duty to
contribute in some way.”
The pressure of the catwalk had her tinkering a bit
with the Khaite formula. (The tulle princess gowns were
certainly new, and fall saw the launch of handbag and
shoe collections.) But “I’m still the customer,” she says,
From historic villas to
skyscraper penthouses, Airbnb
just got a lot more luxurious.
VLIFE
54 AUGUST 2019 VOGUE.COM
COURTESY AIRBNB
