Kimberly Ovitz

Kimberly Ovitz (born July 10, 1983) is an American fashion designer and founder/creative director of the fashion line Kimberly Ovitz.^[1]

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] Ovitz practices Transcendental Meditation.^[27]

References

External links

• Kimberly Ovitz official website