The Butterfly Effect | Issue 14
Love, restraint, and the quiet power of minimalism.
From Seven’s early-aught revival to Ryan Murphy’s Love Story and Khaite’s Fall 2026 runway, the ripple is undeniable.
7 Ways to Heaven
2016—well, it’s so 2016.
7 For All Mankind’s newly minted creative director, Nicola Brognano, formerly of Blumarine and Giambattista Valli, took NYFW by storm last week. Redefining Seven—known primarily as a denim brand—Brognano took us back to early-aught club chic à la Kate Moss and the Olsen twins.
Think elevated grunge. Models stalked the catwalk in smoked-out liner and sunglasses. Club wristbands catching the light. Platform heels. Skinny jeans—or no jeans at all.
Brognano leaned hard into denim in every iteration: skinny, wide, studded, dirty-washed, coated. Minis barely there. Columnar maxis grazing the floor. Knit and satin dresses swung short and sharp. The palette stayed nocturnal—black, grey, mulberry, flickers of purple and green.
Texture did the talking: fringed scarves, fuzzy jackets, stoles with movement.
And in a day when many runways felt tired, Brognano’s collection pulsed, giving the label new life. He may harken back to the Kates for inspiration, but there’s no moss gathering here.
Love Story
A fashion manifesto on restraint and tailored luxury, Ryan Murphy’s Love Story debuted on Hulu. Starring Sarah Pidgeon as Carolyn Bessette and Paul Anthony Kelly as John F. Kennedy Jr., fashion plays a strong supporting actor alongside the dynamic duo.
Murphy and Rudy Mance—the show’s costume designer—truly delivered, honoring CBK’s point of view.
Highlighting Carolyn’s specific brand of ’90s minimalism, Love Story is an ode to capsule dressing. At the highest level. Carolyn shunned labels, jewelry, and pattern. Instead, she favored monochrome, columnar silhouettes, kick flares, and elevated basics—a level of restraint and confidence, inspiring looks from The Row to Marc Jacobs’ most recent runway.
Carolyn—always iconic—lives on as modern-day inspiration. Think her mix of high-low fashion—a Petit Bateau long-sleeve black T-shirt paired with a Levi’s 517 or a beige Prada pencil skirt worn with a simple black V-neck cashmere—or her love of tailored classics. Carolyn wore her clothes with confidence. She wielded restraint as discipline and power—a true power duo that ages better than excess.
Restraint starts with the right basics. | Get the Look: Modern CBK
• Petit Bateau | L’Iconique Long Sleeve T-Shirt (Black)
• Alex Mill | Bessette Mid Rise Boot Cut Jean
• Lafayette 148 | Camel Hair Midi Pencil Skirt
• &Daughter | Skye Cashmere V-Neck (Black)
• Toteme | Classic Tailored Coat (Black)
• The Row | Nuance Two Leather Shoulder Bag (Black)
• Selima | Aldo Sunglasses (Black)
• Manolo Blahnick | Carolyne Slingback (Black)
CBK at CHK (aka Catherine Holstein’s Khaite)
Sarah Pidgeon sat front row at Khaite, channeling CBK with a fitted black dress and sleek black sunglasses. As Vogue Runway aptly noted, just as Bessette Kennedy is the epitome of ’90s minimalism, Khaite embodies mid-2020s minimalism and luxury.
Nearly everyone in fashion is familiar with the Khaite jean phenomenon, deeming them worth upwards of $500—and even skipped meals. For while they look undoubtedly phenomenal, Khaite is known for her unforgiving silhouettes. Perhaps those skipped meals help defray the cost of the jeans…
Khaite’s Fall 2026 Ready-to-Wear, however, focused on texture and volume—barely a jean in rotation. Khaite played with velvet, leather, and lace—leather always a brand favorite. She mixed volume—think voluminous, flowing silky skirts that billowed as the models walked—with fitted, tailored blazers. The pants—structured.
Holstein sent sheer lace slip dresses down the runway, accessorizing them with opera-length leather gloves and contrasting-color undergarments. She focused heavily on a military theme, with subtle military references in blazers and closures. Colors were predominantly black and white with touches of gold and the softest buttery yellow.
Carolyn would have approved.
