Khaite And Elhanati’s Jewellery Collab Is Made For Minimalists

Catherine Holstein’s ready-to-wear collections for Khaite are inherently minimalist. But when embellishment does feature, it’s typically sparkly. (Take the sequin minis for spring/summer 2022, or the crystal-encrusted, floor-sweeping sheer dress that closed the show.)

Now that same sparkle can be found in Holstein’s first foray into jewellery, a collaboration with jeweller Orit Elhanati, comprising two belts, two brooches (one with four bezel-set square black spinels and 14 gypsy-set round emeralds, the other with four bezel-set square black spinels and 29 gypsy-set round emeralds), a barrette (with four bezel-set square black spinels), and a pair of earrings. “The world of jewellery has become so refined that I find myself drawn to the ornate side,” says Cate, as she is also known. 

“I am inspired by Cate’s clean lines and the strong feminine expression in her designs,” Orit tells British Vogue. “Cate does not really wear jewellery so we had to find the right object, and the right way of merging our worlds.” Their working relationship is clearly one built on mutual respect. “Elhanati pieces have a lush, joyful quality that is enhanced by visible traces of their making,” says Cate. “It’s the precious made humble – human and tactile, and all the more special.”

The pair exchanged letters and small packages so that they were able to share the tangible experience of creating the capsule during the pandemic, even though they were “oceans away” from one another. (Holstein is based in New York, Elhanati in Copenhagen.) “We kept writing and reworking, sharing our thoughts and drawings until we reached something that was a symbiosis of our two worlds,” explains Orit. 

Their key aim? “To do something timeless.” “We wanted to give [customers] a touch of the fine jewellery world – something that they will have in their closets for a lifetime and pass on to the next generation. Something that can be combined with fashion, but isn’t ‘fashion’ in its essence. Something sexy and something powerful,” remarks Orit. 

The collection lets “gold tell the story”. Geometric Art Deco-inspired shapes – “after the past few years [Art Deco] felt like a magical escape” – are decorated with Elhanati’s signature rustic textures, which make each piece completely unique. “Sexiness and mystique” are other vital aspects of the collection; reflective of both brands’ design codes. “We both come from a place where the handcraft is the essence of what we create,” says Orit. “We are both very true to our own creativity, and want to have a playground where we can express these thoughts.”

The belts are “very Khaite”, made with buttery leather and elevated with a gilded handmade buckle, while the pieces adorned with gemstones are carefully set by Elhanati’s goldsmiths in Copenhagen. “The craftsmanship is something both Cate and I care deeply about, and this comes to show in the collection.”

The six-piece limited-edition collection will be available on both Khaite.com and Elhanati.com from 21 February.