Power Couple: ATLEIN Joins Forces With Khy, the Fashion Label of Kylie Jenner

It’s the fashion capsule of the month: DROP 012 KHY x ATLEIN. A collaboration between Kylie Jenner’s fashion label Khy and Paris-based fashion house ATLEIN, founded and designed by the star’s good friend Antonin Tron. “I always feel so confident when I wear ATLEIN, and I don’t want to take the pieces off,” shares Jenner, a fan of the brand who loves it for its signature fusion of contemporary aesthetics and high-level craftsmanship, the sculptural draping and sensual fluidity. “When collaborating with Antonin for Khy, we wanted to make sure every piece evoked that same feeling for the wearer. I’m so proud of this assortment, where each piece feels elegant and feminine while hugging your body perfectly.”

Jenner was initially introduced to ATLEIN by her stylist on a beach shoot two years ago, and though she’d just given birth and wasn’t feeling her best, she loved wearing the designs. Fast forward to last year when she launched her own label Khy — with which she’s determined to make high-fashion garments accessible to all body types and at affordable price points; sizes range from XXS–4X and all items are under $200. As Khy developed further, the idea of collaborating with some of Jenner’s favourite designers on a special DROP series emerged and Tron was naturally at the top of the list. When she approached him, the French designer immediately jumped at the opportunity. “What I see with Kylie is this effortlessness with style and freedom,” Tron explained to American Vogue. “It was really inspiring for me.”

So the two got together and dug through some of ATLEIN’s archives, including signature pieces, like the draped T-shirt dress, and others from several seasons past, like the midi plunge dress with ruching. Tron maintained his approach to draping and Jenner brought in her sense of refinement, all while focusing on bringing their vision to a wider audience. The resulting collection, DROP 012 offers a mix of tops, bottoms and dresses in Antonin’s signature stretch-jersey fabric. “I want women to feel empowered, and like they’re dressing up for them,” as Tron describes. For Jenner, pants, cutout tanks and asymmetric ruched dresses are already among her wardrobe staples. The colourway was inspired by the California autumn, mixing youthfulness and a sense of coming-of-age: shell, golden, black cherry, dark citron, surf spray and timeless black. “It’s a message of freedom, an embrace of who you are, a discovery of connection within oneself,” continues Tron.

Tron’s steadfast message of self-empowerment is something that fashionistas have been impressed by ever since Antonin launched the brand in his Parisian apartment (with the help of his mum and his partner Gabriele). Shortly after the newbie with an impressive CV (Antonin used to intern for Raf Simons and later worked for Paul Herbers at Louis Vuitton Homme, and Riccardo Tisci at Givenchy before joining the house of Balenciaga where he had a chance to work with three creative directors Nicolas Ghesquière, Alexander Wang and Demna) won the prestigious Andam Prize twice: first in 2016 as a newcomer, and later in 2018 he took the Grand Prize. As an avid surfer, there’s a clear connection between the designer’s love for the ocean and the resulting physicality of his work — the name ATLEIN literally comes from that of the Atlantic coast he frequents. “There’s something about the moment, early in the morning, when there is a mist on the ocean, and I put my wetsuit on in the parking lot, and I paddle out… That is what Atlein is,” he explained in an interview for W magazine.

Though he wasn’t always concerned with fashion, as a teenager he dreamed of becoming a philosopher or writer and has a degree in philology. It took a chance visit to see a friend studying at Antwerp’s Royal Academy of Fine Arts, one of the most prestigious fashion institutions, to change his mind: “I grew up during the heyday of Galliano — fashion was amazing, but it was not my thing,” he says to W. “Suddenly, I saw fashion talking about the youth; it was talking about music that I liked and things I could relate to.” Antonin took a risk, he applied and was accepted with no fashion background. And of course, the rest is history.

Courtesy: Atlein

Text: Paige Silveria