Kaufmanfranco Fall 2010

This week I had the pleasure of meeting Kaufmanfranco designers Ken Kaufman and Isaac Franco at their Manhattan studio, where they previewed their exquisite fall collection. I first became aware of their six-year-old brand when my friend Alexandra von Furstenberg donned one of their bejeweled microminis to a party and remember distinctly being like, “who made your dress?!” Fast forward 2 years and, in my opinion, it’s developed a cult following that most certainly deserves to be larger. Much larger.

For fall, the designers themed their collection “Galactic Goddess”–evident by color palette of blacks, silvers, whites and greys (mostly metallics). While some of the dresses may, at times, be cut just a tad too low for the everyday woman, the refined evening gowns are major statement makers. I have friends who own and wear Kaufmanfranco and, trust me, all eyes are on you in one of these creations. With a design background that includes having worked for Valentino (the man AND the brand) in Rome and having helmed Ungaro in the U.S. before the Parisian label went through the revolving door, Ken and Isaac know what they’re doing. To wit: Taylor Swift wore a to-die-for Kaufmanfranco navy gown at this year’s Grammy Awards (FYI the designers produced the dress, albeit in black, for fall).

Indeed, you can sense the spirit of Ungaro in their designs, but minus all the color. The cut is incredible and they do some of the best beadwork and molding I have seen. The label’s been making a pronounced effort to transition into ready-to-wear as well–the results for fall struck me as “The Matrix” meets Angelina Jolie. The slouchy wide leg pants were stunning in person, as was the cut of their unique take on the trench.