Kai Kuhne, "Myself" Spring 2007 Olympus Fashion Week September 10th, 2006 The Altman Building Written by Bob Bland Photographed by Jose S Vibar

If you are looking for sophisticated ready-to-wear that easily bridges the gap between fine art and design, I recommend the steadily evolving looks of Kai Kuhne. The German-born, former AsFour designer showed the third season of his solo line, “Myself,” in the Altman Building on Sunday to a crowd of supportive friends, notable buyers and press.

Kai advanced on several notable themes from his Fall ’06 collection, folding material into sculptural forms that he terms “German origami,” while still maintaining wearable separates that flatter the female form. Standouts included a short-sleeved kimono trench coat in shantung, voluminous pleated brocade shorts and a dress with pintucking implemented to change directions and textures on the fabric.

Kuhne was quoted in Fashion Wire Daily as saying, “This season you can expect icebergs in a glass of champagne breaking and melting into silhouettes.” It was this type of highly conceptual design that made for an overall successful presentation for Spring ’07. For every abruptly angular jacket, there was a dramatically draped knit or charmeuse dress. While many pieces were cropped in length and expanded from top to bottom, there were also subtly body-clinging options as well. Well-rounded and continually mature, Kai Kuhne exhibited another season of precision in design.

Kai Kuhne, "Myself"	Kai Kuhne, "Myself"

Kai Kuhne, "Myself"	Kai Kuhne, "Myself"

Kai Kuhne, "Myself"	Kai Kuhne, "Myself"

For more information on Kai Kuhne’s “Myself” line, check out www.kaikuhne.com.

For more information on Olympus Fashion Week, log onto: www.olympusfashionweek.com.