inside karen’s closet: yes, that’s me, rummaging through your laundry!
Have you ever wanted to rummage through someone’s closet? Try on their sinewy dresses and slip into their sculptural shoes? It’s an old game, this dress-up, but it’s one that I’ve rarely played. When I was younger, I would sometimes disappear into my mother’s smoke-ridden leather jackets and wrap dresses. But the clothes were tinged with our sadness, and I found myself itching, raw and red. It would be a decade before I lived in a dorm and we girls would practice the Friday night tight-shirt rotation.
So imagine my glee when I got the chance to fondle and paw all the lovelies in my sweet friend Karen Robinovitz’s closet. An astute collector of designer and couture, Karen has amassed a gasp-worthy host of beautiful pieces over the years — works of art, really. From the stunning Nicholas Kirwood for Rodarte shoes to the final pieces from the late Alexander McQueen’s collection to structured Rochas and piles of luscious second-skin Lanvin, Karen’s collection can leave one speechless.
Or in my case, wracked with enviable sobs.
What I love most about Karen, aside from her selfless way of nurturing and fostering others, is her devoted affection for fashion — it’s downright biblical. She doesn’t buy simply to hoard, but she acquires in the way one amasses fine art — to appreciate and preserve objects of great beauty. To see her unearth gowns from bags and gasp over box clutches, to evangelize Lanvin’s eye for creating ultra-feminine, eclectic pieces for the complicated, yet elegant woman, is infectious.
Today I read an article where women in their 20s purchase clothing merely to be on trend or au courant in fashion, while women in their 40s desire perfection in tailoring and cut. For me, Karen hovers in the middle, seeking out a few gems a season that are perennials, shocking and wonderful and whimsical classics. Karen consistently redefines the meaning of classic.
So I invite you to take a mental vacation (this was mine prior to settling down with my work laptop for the evening), and indulge in a little sartorial holiday in Karen Robinovitz’s closet!
