Unorthodox - Catherine Litke
victoria brandt
Founded in 2012, LITKE mixes a combination of classic minimalism and eccentric tailoring, merging the understated with a sense of excitement in its unique details and unorthodox shapes, making for clothes that are both innovative and timeless.
Why did you first start designing?
I wanted to create a line that was easy to wear but not boring to look at. I love the idea of wearing a uniform, but that often can turn into kind of a mundane cycle. The line functions as an outlet for me where I work out what exactly it is I would want to be wearing in my ideal world (the one where I don’t wear striped turtlenecks, a parka, and jeans all winter long in New York).
Who do you design with in mind? or who is the ideal girl to wear LITKE?
I design for the women I admire. This mostly means my friends, but there is also a dream list that includes Lee Krasner, Agnes Martin, Sophia Coppola, Francoise Hardy, Joan Didion, Mia Farrow, and Charlotte Perriand, among many others who I can’t remember at this moment. Also, anyone who can wear a button-down shirt with pizzazz (for the most part grandmas do this best).
What inspires your designs?
To put it succinctly would be difficult, but at this moment swing dancing, east coast boarding schools, palm beach retirement style, and alexander calder are occupying a large section of my mind in a way that may be unhealthy. I also just recently got cable for the first time since high school, so television is kind of blowing my mind right now.
What three words would you use to describe your line?
Classic, Off Kilter, Easy. I suppose that's really four words but let’s live dangerously today.
Where do you see the brand going in the future?
Hopefully the brand will keep growing organically. I’d love to open a shop in the next couple of years but that is still way off on the horizon. Presently, getting the brand into major retail stores is what I’m working towards so that the line can be produced on a larger scale and get to the customer more completely.
Photography - Zack Blomquist - Website
Model/Styling - Victoria Brandt - Website