An Item You Must Have in Your Summer Closet—The Kaftan

The kaftan is not only a fashion item. The kaftan is a fashion principle. Its history dates back so long as ancient Mesopotamia, and its evolution throughout continents, cultures and different eras now has culminated in its present baffling diversity.

No matter if we talk about the large patterned, richly decorated royal garment of the Ottoman Empire, the Moroccan ’maghrebi’ originally worn by male juries, the Persian ’khalat’ or the Jewish ’bekishe’, we mean the same ankle-long, loose-sleeved coat or overdress which can also be worn with a belt, and depending on the culture or the geography of origin, made from wool, cashmere, silk or even cotton.

For its debut in haute couture we had to wait until the 1950’s though, when Christian Dior and the Spanish fashion mogul Cristóbal Balenciaga embraced the kaftan and reinvented as an elegant evening gown for women.

From this point on the kaftan commenced its worldwide conquest – Elizabeth Taylor, Iman, Bianca Jagger, Jacqueline Bisset are only a few of those who have made the kaftan a classic modern apparel.

Its popularity resides in its lightness and simplicity, which makes it the best fashion choice for all sorts of different events. We have discovered its impressively minimalist elegance and included the kaftan in our latest collection as a waterside basic.

Its simple lines and airy material make it an ideal beach garment which, even if nipped out from a bag, can easily complete our outfit when a sole swimsuit might not be enough anymore.

In our Spring Summer 2017 collection we aimed at creating a kaftan style that would elegantly fit any body type. The colors and prints are designed in a way that the beach garments can be easily matched together with the other items, swimwear and leggings, of the collection. Our kaftans are loose fit with batwing sleeves, in mini, midi or maxi length. Their material is light and airy and when cinched with the thin belt at waist, they immediately turn into a chic dress that can be worn with the greatest leisure. The pastels and coral reds dominate and the geometric and wavy prints echo the basic visuals of the collection.