KZ_K STUDIO, a slow-fashion, NYC-made luxury RTW brand with a by-appointment studio located on the iconic Great Jones Street in the heart of NYC, celebrated its 15th anniversary alongside the debut of the Techno Jacket and Trench prototypes made in collaboration with cycora® at The Knitting Factory nightclub on June 25.
The Knitting Factory pulsed with this celebration and collection debut. Guests were treated to a live performative dance by ballerina Lilit Hogtanian, who flaunted the Techno Jacket and Trench coat as she moved. The show was accompanied by Miss Grit’s music and craft Japanese sake cocktails dubbed “Sa_KZ,” on theme with the night’s host.
The Techno Jacket and Trench coat, made with cycora® material, are the love children of a partnership with Ambercycle, an LA-based innovator of textile-to-textile circular polyester material, who helped weave cycora® into these latest drops from KZ_K STUDIO. Utilizing cycora®, a recycled polyester made from end-of-life textile waste demonstrates KZ_K STUDIO’s commitment to circular fashion and reflects a new era of responsible luxury. Sleek and functional with a spy-like 70’s silhouette, both the Techno Jacket and Trench coat kick off Fall/Winter 2024 trends with a versatile edge.
“As a fashion design firm focused on committed long-term relationships with our partners, we craft modernist multifunctional designs with advanced fabrics and minimalist silhouettes,” said Creative Director and Co-Founder Karolina Zmarlak. “ “The objective behind the collection is to create pieces by utilizing the design principles of architecture for our clients so they are worn (lived in) for a lifetime. We’re grateful for our collaboration with cycora® by merging our brand philosophy with their molecularly regenerated fabrics. True circularity in high design (and all) fashion cannot come soon enough.”
Since 2015, Ambercycle’s cycora® has transformed textile waste into a decarbonized material to help apparel brands reduce their eco-footprint in a notoriously wasteful industry. With KZ_K STUDIO’s shared commitment to sustainability, it’s no wonder that Co-Founder Jesse Keyes decided to join forces with the company after a 2023 scouting trip to Los Angeles. After browsing Ambercycle’s headquarters and witnessing first-hand the innovative molecular technology used to breathe new life into textile waste meant for landfills, Keyes discovered just the material KZ_K STUDIO sought: regenerative, circular, and without a hint of greenwashing.
The event’s guest list glittered with notable attendees such as actresses Katja Heber, Christiane Seidel, and Geneva Carr, costume designers Dan Lawson and Danielle Hollywood, stylists Winfred Vasques Torres, Yana Echko, Kris Fraser, Hattie Doolittle, and influencers Melissa Vale, Priscilla Eslo, and Emma Robinson.
The cycora® fabric Techno Jacket_ 15.0 and Techno Trench_ 1.0 will be available for purchase in Fall 2024 by appointment at KZ_K STUDIO’s Great Jones Street showroom or online at kzkstudionyc.com, for a unique styling experience. Beyond the jacket and trench coat drops, KZ_K STUDIO and Ambercycle will continue to cultivate their partnership by working with their longtime fabric manufacturer, STYLEM by Takisada, to create more eco-responsible, regenerative fabrics for the future of the brand’s circularity.
