The invitation said Café Kallmeyer, but the mood inside the dimly lit, almost entirely red room was much more of a Club Kallmeyer vibe, although it was barely past 9AM. The show began and the voice of a woman saying a short speech blared over the speakers, ending in “We are talking about humanism.” Then a song began, with the lyrics “I want something more,” repeating over and over again. The lights went up and the first model walked out, in a tailored blazer worn over a semi-sheer polo and a breezy chiffon skirt; then came another in a swingy jersey dress with a draped bodice and a fitted waistband; followed by a semi-sheer plaid draped top, and a loose-fitting cream sweater layered over a satin skirt. By the time the tenth look came out, a sheer baby blue button down worn over light wash jeans—worn low to expose the Kallmeyer boxers underneath—it was clear Daniella Kallmeyer was in a lighter state of mind.
“This season is very much inspired by the resort collection, which was a cheeky nod to the girl I had a crush on in high school,” she said after the show. “This collection is imagining who she grows up to be; this is how she lives her life while asserting her power with kindness.” It’s funny how notions of soft power can seem so alien to what we’re used to. At least when it comes to fashion, power is usually interpreted through strong shoulders, strict lines, something that is inherently masculine. The clothes in this collection had the opposite effect. The wide waistband on the dresses, a way to be held tight; the cape-like volume on trench coats and jackets, a way to feel enveloped. “Power can be kind,” Kallmeyer said. “Power doesn’t have to be strong in a way that is aggressive or abrasive. Female power is nurturing. We raise people. We raise women.”
Her color palette was exquisite—in the past she’d been working in a sober black and white and beige and maybe a little bit of red; but this season she embraced a bold turquoise that seemed to glow against the bright red walls and floor of the show space. See also silver lavender, oxidized khaki, burgundy paired with orchid purple, her classic shirt-and-tie combo in a strangely alluring shade of mustard-goldenrod. The textures too, were sumptuous, especially a shiny satin skirt suit with a high collar, and a knitted sleeveless dress that had been woven through with leather, left in long fringes at the bottom and worn with a pair of trousers. “We’re really not trying to be stuck in this quiet luxury thing,” Kallmeyer added. “I think that’s where we were when we first started and then the trends sort of caught up with what we were doing, and now we continue to move forward.”
