Take it to the runway. The past few seasons Daniella Kallmeyer has shown her clothing presentation-style with Café Kallmeyer, bringing her clothing to life. For spring she took it one step further with a runway show but on her own terms with an intimate event against the warm red walls and perfect lighting of Apparatus, an interdisciplinary design studio in Midtown. “I talk all the time about how do the clothes change the way that you feel in the world? From the beginning, I knew that this collection had to move,” she said backstage.
Her work is about life and how to dress for it. She often talks nuances, how a person gestures or walks into a room; it’s these considered moments that make her clothing so strong. On the runway this was interpreted into chiffon skirts, billowy top coats, tuxedo pants with satin stripes, jersey dresses and knit sweaters — casually thrown over the handbags like an accessory, maybe planning to wear them later. Nothing overly trendy, which is a good thing. She uses the term modular for pieces that easily just fit into a wardrobe. Dress it up or take it work, it’s up to the customer to decide how these clothes live, exactly what Kallmeyer wants. “You are helping us figure out how we can interact with you,” she said.
Her color palette included rich eggplant, sky blue and golden yellow, measured joyful tones that expand her range on dresses and separates.
Her community of customers won’t have to overthink it, but Kallmeyer, a growing business with many eyes on her, does. A final white look hinted at a more formal bridal offering to come, she has already made multiple wedding looks this year. “I’m intentional about each step we take as we grow,” she said. “Who we are doesn’t change, but we evolve.”
“I want more” was a lyric in a song she played on repeat while her clothing walked. Kallmeyer is growing, but on her own authentic terms.
