YOUNG GUNS

Olivia Kim Is Bringing Some of the Coolest Up-and-Coming Fashion Brands to a Store Near You

As Nordstrom’s vice president of creative projects, Olivia Kim’s been charged with bringing a similar youthful energy to the ­century-old retailer.


Fashion News - March 2017 - Young Guns
Photograph by Hans Neumann, Styled by Nora Milch; Hair by Takashi Yusa; Makeup by Tracy Alfajora for Giorgio Armani at Jed Root; Models: Diane Chiu at Muse Management, Grace Anderson at Heroes ModeL management, Fernanda Beuker and Olesya Ivanischeva at Elite; Barbra-lee Grant at Trump Models; Digital Technician: Jeremy Sachs-Michaels; Photography Assistant: Jeffrey Rose; Fashion Assistant: Michael Ray Solis; Kim wears Vetements boots; from left, models wear shoes by Mansur Gavriel; Saint Laurent; Mansur Gavriel

Olivia Kim started her career in the early aughts, cool-hunting designers for the cutting-edge emporium Opening ­Ceremony. As Nordstrom’s vice president of creative projects, she’s been charged with bringing a similar youthful energy to the ­century-old retailer. In 2015, she launched Space, a permanent shop-in-shop showcasing buzzy names like Simone Rocha, ­Vetements, and Koché. “We wanted to create a boutique environment,” she says of the candy-colored decor, outfitted with quirky ­vintage furniture, and color-block shelves by Gaetano Pesce. Taking things a step ­further, this month Kim unveils Lab, a rotating seasonal program within Space, which will serve as a platform for fashion’s next big things. “We are looking at it as an incubator program where we can highlight raw, emerging talent and help them grow,” she says. First on the lineup are labels including Vejas, A.W.A.K.E., Eckhaus Latta, Dilara Findikoglu, and Eric Schlösberg, which are recognized for their nonconformist ways. “My job is to push boundaries, and I want the designers to push me too.”

A Post-Election Eckhaus Latta Turns Melancholy Into Action for Fall 2017

Collier Schorr at Eckhaus Latta Fall 2017 in New York

Photo by Alex Hodor-Lee
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