—Matthew Schneier
Kate Young is on a streak. The stylist was just named one of the top five stylists in Hollywood by the Hollywood Reporter, and topped off the coup by sending her client, Natalie Portman, to the Academy Awards in plum-colored Rodarte—and watching her walk off with the big prize. (Evening’s Best Dressed, of course, though she happened to nab the Oscar, too.) The multitasking stylist, who divides her time between celebrity work, editorials, and consulting for the likes of Jason Wu, has just added another line to her résumé: designer. Young partnered with knitwear designer Lynne Hiriak of Cardigan, whom she met while both were consulting for Derek Lam, to create a line of mom’s and kid’s knits. (Young has two sons.)
For adults, Young (left, with Hiriak) tweaked a favorite Cardigan sweatshirt for a loose, cropped fit (below left), and drawstring sweatpants with elasticized cuffs. (The inspiration, Young said by phone, was a mix of runway favorites—like the covetable sweats from Isabel Marant and Dries Van Noten—and the pieces she’d always wanted, but never found, for herself.) For babies, there’s a buttoned onesie (below right), a mini sweatshirt, and a pair of little sweatpants to match mom’s (though the kid’s version comes with a kangaroo pocket). They’re all made of merino wool, which Young loves for kids not only for its antibacterial properties, but also because it’s a naturally wicking fabric—a good thing, she says with a laugh, when baby pukes or pees. That’s baby-friendly. More mom-friendly are the stylish, jewel-tone colors the pieces come in, a far cry from pink-for-girls, blue-for-boys. Young and Hiriak opted for charcoal, navy, gray, mustard, and purple—that last, come to think of it, not far from the hue of a certain in-the-news Rodarte gown.
Cardigan by Kate Young is available now at cardigannewyork.com.
Photos: Courtesy of Cardigan