Designers at KES NYC

ELEVEN SIX

Combining contemporary design with traditional Andean knitting techniques, Eleven Six offers an effortless, yet elevated approach to knit dressing.  Inspired by Peru’s rich heritage of craftsmanship in textiles, modern separates are created from the finest spun Alpaca yarns. Worn alone or mix and matched for a headtotoe look, refined silhouettes evoke a relaxed femininity that is underscored by a signature neutral palette. Intended to be worn cross-seasonally, these core neutrals allow the Eleven Six woman to compose a wardrobe that allows for just that.

The novelty and more eclectic items are handmade by a women’s cooperative of artisans in Peru and Bolivia. These women, empowered and working in an entrepreneurial environment, are dedicated to the production of high quality pieces using traditional textile techniques of hand knitting, macramé, crochet, and hand weaving. The many hours that are devoted to crafting every item make each piece produced by an artisan one of a kind. I

Created in limited quantities to Catherine’s design and technical specifications, each Eleven Six knit has its own identity inherent to its craftoriented fabrication. Picking out a piece from an Eleven Six collection is like finding an unexpected treasure on a faraway trip; it’s something the wearer loves from the start, making it their own over time.

ISABEL BENENATO 

Born in Naples, Isabel Benenato refined her creative skills with work experience in a number of ateliers and fashion studios in London. Her artistic education soon evolved in a heart-felt passion for fashion. Isabel's debut dates back to 2008, where she represented a capsule collection of original parallel ribbed knitwear pieces. Today, Isabel Benenato is driven by passion for her work and inspiration for an effortlessly luxurious fashion.

FALIERO SARTI

Since 1949, FALIERO SARTI, located in Campi Bisenzio between Florence and Prato, has specialized in producing fine quality fabrics for haute couture and prêt-a –porter. Each FALIERO SARTI product, from textiles for major fashion houses to their own scarf creations, is made of natural fibers such as wool, cashmere, angora, silk and linen. Products from FALIERO SARTI are exported world-wide including Europe, the Far East and North America.

Among the prestigious fashion houses, which still constitute more than ninety-percent of the FALIERO SARTI's production, are Armani and Donna Karan.

SARTORE

Set in the hear of the luxury world, SARTORE is known for its refined expertise and its inimitable style: with noble materials, natural leathers and colours, traditional manufacturing and with sober, elegant and authentic models, always contemporary. Faithful to its traditional manufacturing process, Sartore advocates comfort, solidity as well as excellent quality of leathers, finishings and handmade patinas. As art director, Catherine Sartore plays with precious materials such as crocodile, reptile, lizard and ostrich for boots and very chic shoes, using a unique technique invented by Paul Sartore with matte coating on the usually varnished reptiles: their ultimate sign of authenticity - a true exception in today's world entirely dominated by mechanization and industrialization.

A handmade fabrication with luxurious materials, Sartore embodies more than just a trend but a real spirit, an attitude and philosophy. All it needs is the detail of a buckle, the thickness of a sole, the curve of a heel, the mix of materials, the alliance of neutral colours and the flashy tones to turn a shoe into a real classic and and icon of its time. Taking what was there before, changing it and modernizing it in order to anticipate the future, this is also Sartore's expertise.

RAQUEL ALLEGRA

Born in Berkeley CA to artisan parents, Raquel Allegra’s formative years encouraged a creative process of instinct, experiment and play. Raquel’s design career grew naturally with the origination of a shredding technique synonymous with the namesake label. Full length webbed cocoon shapes evolved out of laborious experiments with oversized vintage t’s recycled from the Los Angeles County Prison System, and informed a new informal beauty within the industry. 2009 marked a maturation for the brand as the collection expanded to include richly textured pieces in deerskin, linen, cashmere, and French lace. The RAQUEL ALLEGRA label continues to garner admiration from celebrities, editors, stylists and savvy consumers worldwide from New York to Tokyo. The RAQUEL ALLEGRA label is found internationally in select boutiques; inclusive of Barneys New York, Assembly, Liberty of London & Harvey Nichols.

AVANT TOI

Avant Toi was founded in 1994 within the Liapull group to satisfy the needs of a demanding and ever-changing market. The creative endeavor of Mirko Ghignone now celebrates 20 years of passion and success.

Characterized by a strong relationship between the art world and aesthetic research, Mirko, eclectic artist and paramour of the force of color, established the brand through the application of his creative instinct to the medium of yarns and knits. A pioneer in cashmere evolution, he excels in technical experimentation and above all in the absolute innovation of coloring, revolutionizing the world of piece dying. Central to this process is the introduction of air-brush coloring that empowers each piece with authenticity and a unique, unrepeatable character. Through infinite combinations of shades and hues, each creation recounts its own particular story.

The values of the Avant Toi universe are expressed through the constant exploration of the unknown and the unexpected, perpetually distancing itself from the conventional rules of knitwear manufacturing in order to endow each piece with a sophisticated, one of a kind aspect and an avant- garde spirit. Breaking the rules in regards to stylistic and aesthetic standards is at the core of Avant Toi's philosophy. A bridge between the classic concept of refinement and the charm of what is old and worn, in complete opposition to the customary conventions of the cashmere world.

The collections are alive with contradictions. Avant Toi captures the true beauty of cashmere and fine Italian knitwear, by masterfully transforming each piece into a work of art. In this unique reality, men's and women's lines interweave into a new dimension, defined exclusively by the wearer.

Destroyed, blended and spray-painted are only a few of the continuously evolving treatments applied to each garnment.

Quality and stability is guaranteed by Liapull's 50 years of experience and the skillful artisans who have dedicated a lifetime to these yarns.

ANNE VEST

A longing for what could exist, what should be, shielding us from the unknown. Ominous and evermore at large, our destiny looms in the distance. Its faint rumblings can be heard afar. We stand still, observe and slowly fade into the silence.

ANNE VEST works from the leitmotif, that each collection can be individually tailored to suggest highly individual silhouettes. Each garment is crafted from hand-picked fabrics, with a focus on lush leathers, shearling, sleek silks, soft wools and breezy jersey. Effortlessly effeminate, the seasonal collections, appear as timeless collages of our zeitgeist. The atelier works closely with local craftsmen, striving for innovative sartorial wardrobe solutions.

ANNE VEST collection is a collage of monochrome minimalistic garments, defiantly enveloping contemporary women. Women empowered with a sense of self and an eternal yearning for opulent encounters. ANNE VEST forges the sleekness of the North with a dash of understated sensuality, forever locked in conversation.