Kimberly Ovitz
Kimberly Ovitz (born July 10, 1983) is an American fashion designer and founder/creative director of the fashion line Kimberly Ovitz.[1]
Kimberly Ovitz | |
---|---|
Born | Kimberly Sarah Ovitz July 10, 1983 Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
Nationality | American |
Occupation | Fashion designer |
Parent(s) | Michael Ovitz Judy Ovitz |
Website | http://www.kimberlyovitz.com |
Early life and education
Born and raised in Los Angeles, California, Ovitz demonstrated an early interest in fashion design and horseback riding.[1] The daughter of CAA co-founder Michael Ovitz, she grew up surrounded by creative talent and was inspired by modern art and architecture, both of which featured as themes in her later designs.[1]
At 14 she received an internship at J. Crew and throughout her career remained influenced by the editorially sparse minimalism of Emily Scott, J. Crew’s cofounder and former CEO.[1][2] Ovitz later took internships at Harper’s Bazaar with photographer Herb Ritts, at Chanel in Paris, working under Karl Lagerfeld, and at W magazine.[3] She attended Parsons The New School for Design before earning a B.A. in Art History and Business from Brown University. Following college she worked at labels Imitation of Christ, YaYa and Twelfth Street by Cynthia Vincent.[1]
Career
In 2009 Ovitz launched her Kimberly Ovitz Collection from her design studio in Santa Monica, California.[4] Three years later she relocated the company to its new home in Tribeca, New York City.[5] Her initial line consisted of a neutral palette of ‘grungy’ and ‘equestrian’ pieces, and was critically well received.[1] Her Kimberly Ovitz Jacob long sleeve dress was one of the most worn on the red carpet in 2009.[6] The collection's overall vision grew out of the equestrian concept.[1]
In 2010, Ovitz continued with showings at New York Fashion Week. Her spring collection was held at Mac Milk Studios in New York and was attended by family friend Martin Scorsese.[7] The architectural, asymmetrical draping of her fall 2010 collection solidified her reputation within the fashion world as an up-and-coming, ‘minimalist-meets-modern’ designer.[8]
Ovitz’s collection benefitted from everyday and red carpet wear by trend-setting Hollywood celebrities including Chloë Sevigny[9] and Olivia Wilde.[10] In February 2011, actress Lindsay Lohan wore a Kimberly Ovitz dress to a court appearance in Los Angeles. The $575 "Glavis" dress from Ovitz's pre-fall collection subsequently sold out in boutiques worldwide by the next morning.[11]
In her fall 2011 collection, Ovitz stepped out of her traditionally monochromatic palette with pieces incorporating hints of neon yellow and cobalt blue, inspired by the architecture and spirit of Brazil.[12] Attendance at her New York Fashion Week showing included Jenna Lyons, Prabal Gurung, Neiman Marcus’ Roopal Patel and Bergdorf Goodman’s Linda Fargo.[13] In her spring 2012 collection, Ovitz was inspired by Shigeru Ban, the minimalist architect,[14] specifically the curtainwall house as well as his minimalist ideology of design and focus on working with sustainable materials with little waste.[15] In 2012, Ovitz launched O by Kimberly Ovitz, a lower-priced line made of Tencel – an eco friendly, biodegradable fabric made from wood pulp cellulose.[16] Designs were inspired by best-selling pieces from her regular collection and retailed for under $200.
Feminism and the image of a strong female feature as prominent motifs in her designs. Her fall 2012 line was inspired by Kagemusha, a film by Kurosawa.[17] Ovitz was interested in the samurai warrior, a theme that expanded into a more general warrior.[18] In fall 2013, Ovitz introduced an edgy and futuristic collection inspired by natural defense mechanisms found in animals and nature.[19] Her showing at New York Fashion week was attended by Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour[20] and designers Tory Burch and J. Crew’s Jenna Lyons.[21] The collection included a 3D-printed jewelry line, created in collaboration with Shapeways.[22]
Ovitz announced she would not produce a fall 2013 line, focusing instead on a ‘number of collaborations and initiatives, including a new collection with Shapeways.’[23]
Personal life
Ovitz is the daughter of Hollywood mogul Michael Ovitz. Her brother is Chris Ovitz, co-founder of video sharing app Viddy.[24]
She is active philanthropically in animal welfare for the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) and the Humane Society of the United States.[25] She co-chaired the 2013 HSUS ‘To the Rescue’ gala with Georgina Bloomberg and Amanda Hearst.[26]
References
- Venessa Lau (March 2009). "Kimberly Ovitz: Easy Rider". W.
- Moura, Sophie (12 September 2010). "Kimberly Ovitz: the next Donna Karan". Marie Claire. Retrieved 17 January 2015.
- Tsui, Diana (12 January 2010). "Kimberly Ovitz Needs Her Gum to Focus". New York. Retrieved 17 January 2015.
- "Kimberly Ovitz Inside the L.A. Designer's Santa Monica Studio". Refinery29.
- "The Kimberly Ovitz label is a women's contemporary fashion brand established in…". google.com.
- "Most Worn Dress Of 2009 - Kimberly Ovitz Jacob Long Sleeve Dress - Red Carpet Fashion Awards". Red Carpet Fashion Awards.
- "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2013-09-06. Retrieved 2013-09-06.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
- "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2011-03-06. Retrieved 2013-09-06.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
- Tracey Lomrantz Lester (2009-10-07). "Fashion Faceoff: Eliza Dushku Vs. Chloe Sevigny In Kimberly Ovitz". Glamour Magazine.
- "Who Wore Kimberly Ovitz Better? AnnaLynne McCord or Olivia Wilde". 2009-09-18.
- LINDSAY GOLDWERT (2011-02-10). "Lindsay Lohan courtroom dress sells out; Tight, white $575 Kimberly Ovitz dress in demand". NY Daily News.
- http://fashionista.com/2011/02/kimberly-ovitz-fall-2011-brazilian-visions/
- "NYFW: Kimberly Ovitz presentation". WhoWhatWear.
- http://fashionista.com/2011/09/kimberly-ovitz-spring-2012-inspired-by-a-japanese-architect-not-lindsay-lohan/
- "Kimberly Ovitz". style.com. Archived from the original on 2013-05-16.
- Charlotte Cowles. "Kimberly Ovitz to Launch a Diffusion Line". The Cut.
- http://fashionista.com/2012/02/kimberly-ovitz-fall-2012-inspired-by-warriors/
- "New York Fashion Week 2012: Kimberly Ovitz". latimes.com.
- http://fashionista.com/2013/02/kimberly-ovitz-fall-2013-exoskeletons/
- Anna Wintour watches Kimberly Ovitz with Shapeways Runway Show. YouTube. 7 February 2013.
- "shapeways - Michael Ovitz". michaelovitz.org. Archived from the original on 2013-10-27.
- "3D-Printed Jewelry Graces the Runway". Mashable. 8 February 2013.
- Lisa Lockwood. "Kimberly Ovitz Won't Produce Fall Collection - WWD". WWD.
- Kim-Mai Cutler. "Viddy Co-Founder Chris Ovitz Lands At Mobile Gaming Startup Scopely". TechCrunch. AOL.
- "Kimberly Ovitz Puts ASPCA Dog Rescue First". la-confidential-magazine.com.
- "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2013-08-19. Retrieved 2013-09-06.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)