Simkhai

The house

Jonathan Simkhai trained at Parsons School of Design and the Fashion Institute of Technology, then showed his first womenswear line in New York City. In 2015 the CFDA and Vogue named him one of three winners of the Fashion Fund, the first time in the prize’s twelve year history that three designers shared it equally, each taking $300,000 and a year of mentoring. He was an early inductee to the CFDA Incubator. The studio moved west in 2018 and the collections moved with it: the tailoring loosened, the eveningwear kept its spine.

What holds it together is construction. Simkhai builds a bustier the way an architect sets a load path, then softens the line with lace worked by hand. Draped jersey falls from a single seam and stays there. Crochet and open knits carry real weight without bulk. The studio calls this the elevated everyday, and the phrase earns itself on the hanger, where a gown and a cotton midi turn out to share the same internal logic.

The editor’s styling guide

For a black tie wedding

Start with a bustier gown and let the construction do the work. The Danielle Crinkle Jersey Bustier Gown in Ivory holds its shape without boning showing through, so the only jewellery it needs is an earring. For a darker room, the Courtney Belted Gown in Midnight reads formal without reading heavy.

For a city dinner

Lace is the house signature and it is best used flat, with nothing competing. The Signature Laura Lace Dress in Black wants a bare shoe and a hard <a href="https://luxuryshop.net.cn/product-category/women/bags/clutch-bags/" class="cvx-al cvx-al--category">clutch. If you would rather cover up, the Cortland Belted Bustier Midi Dress gives you the same waist with sleeves.

For daylight

This is where the label is quietly at its best. A cotton mini such as the Clemmie in White carries pintucking and volume that most contemporary brands would flatten out. Pair an organza skirt like the Dana in Fig with a plain cami and let the fabric move.

For a warm climate holiday

Open knits travel better than anything else the house makes. The Coralia Knit Charmed Midi Dress packs flat and needs no pressing. Add the Cruz Studded Linen Cami and the River Straight Leg Denim for the daytime half of the trip.

Sizing, converted

SIMKHAI cuts to the American ladder. Luxury Handbags converts every size to UK on the product page, so you are always shopping in UK numbers. The conversion we apply:

Knitwear, jersey and swim are cut in letter sizes from XXS to XXL. Denim is sold on the inch waist. A handful of pieces are one size.

On fit: the house runs true to size across most of the range. The built pieces, meaning anything with a bustier, a corseted bodice and a fitted waist seam, sit closer than the jersey and the knits, so take your usual size and expect it to hold you. SIMKHAI publishes a body measurement chart rather than per garment measurements, which is why individual product pages carry a fit note instead of a measurement table.

Questions we get asked

Is SIMKHAI a luxury brand?

It sits in advanced contemporary, above the mass contemporary labels and below the European luxury houses on price. Dresses on Luxury Handbags run from roughly $470 to $3,040. The construction is where the money goes, so the eveningwear reads more expensive than it is.

What is SIMKHAI known for?

Built eveningwear, lace, and knitwear that holds a shape. The bustier is the house silhouette and it appears across gowns, midi dresses and tops.

Where is SIMKHAI from?

The label was founded in New York in 2010 and has been based in Los Angeles since 2018.

Does SIMKHAI run true to size?

Yes for most of the range. Take your usual size, and size up only if you want ease through a fitted bustier bodice.

Who wears SIMKHAI?

Kaley Cuoco wore the label to the 2026 Critics Choice Awards in a satin blazer and wide leg trousers. Juliette Lewis fronted the 2025 holiday film in the Dakota Gown. Elizabeth Banks wore a pre-fall 2026 look to the Los Angeles premiere of The Miniature Wife. Naomi Watts is a longstanding client.

How should I care for it?

Follow the label. As a rule the lace and the embellished pieces are dry clean only, the cotton and linen separates are machine washable cold, and the knits should be laid flat to dry.