Captured somewhere beneath the Hudson or East River, the Khaite Pre-Fall 2022 collection captures the designer’s affection for the city’s gritty glamour and a poetic nod to how she felt when she designed the clothes.

That manifested in a collection she described with one word: fast. “Not ‘fast fashion,’” she clarified, nor was it impulsive or overly sleek. Holstein was thinking more about pieces that are efficient, unfussy, comfortable, straightforward. Much of it will be familiar to Khaite loyalists: the drop-shoulder trench, the slouchy leather bomber, the sumptuous cashmeres, and the glossy blouses with frills fanning around the wrists. A quilted barn jacket reflected the broader trend for rugged, functional outerwear, while the hip-hugging trousers and skirts will refresh the conversation around fashion’s inevitable return to low-rise pants.

The real news was in the more decorative couture touches, partly prompted by the success of Holstein’s spring 2022 collection. A quarter-zip “sweatshirt” in jet sequins is her version of an evening blouse—special, but as comfy as a fleece—and the satin harness we saw on the runway in September reappeared in sparkling Swarovski crystals.