Katie Holmes and longtime stylist Jeanne Yang have come together to create Holmes & Yang, a luxury designer collection that debuted in the Fall of 2009. Katie and Jeanne’s inspiration was born out of necessity; the designing duo was constantly looking for easy, timeless pieces that could carry them from day to night, casual to cocktail, work to weekend.
The designers chose to launch with a very limited production run, investing their time on each piece to make it as valuable and special to the customer as possible. All of Holmes & Yang’s offerings are of heritage-quality and are proudly made in the USA, which is of the utmost importance to the designers when creating each collection. Paying special attention to these details, the designers spend time with all of their factories to build lasting relationships in the garment district.

Top priorities for creating Holmes & Yang were supreme quality of fabrics, perfecting the fit, and attention to small details, which is evidenced in the luxurious and sophisticated one-of-a-kind pieces that will find a permanent home in every chic woman’s closet.Katie Holmes and Jeanne Yang opted out of the Lincoln Center tents, where they made their New York fashion week debut last season, in favor of private appointments at the Palace Hotel today. But if that signaled a change, they didn't alter their approach to the collection, which is now three years old.

"It's a quiet line," Holmes said, and Yang finished the thought: "We're about wearing the clothes, not letting them wear you."A stretch plaid peplum bustier top worn with matching tapered pants connected with Style.com's market editor, but for the most part, Yang and Holmes are content to leave the trend setting to other labels. Among the 15 looks they showed were a couple of shirtdresses in a plaid hammered silk and a chambray denim, and maxi skirts that they alternately paired with a peplum top and a silk camisole. Instead of leather leggings, they cut pleated suede trousers in a warm shade of butterscotch.

Despite their assertion that the clothes were inspired by the 1940s, there wasn't much holding the disparate elements together, which was an issue for Holmes & Yang last season, too. If they are developing a signature, it's for special details like the metal nailhead trim along the inner hem of a two-tone cape, an idea borrowed from Coco Chanel (who used metal chain in her jackets) to add body and drape. A long beaded mesh dress also caught the eye. They actually designed it years ago, not long after they launched the brand, but didn't feel they had the collection to match it until now. Slow and steady wins the race, but to grow a label, it would seem that they need more of that razzle-dazzle.