Jonathan Simkhai

Jonathan Simkhai is a New York fashion designer. His love affair with fashion began at the early age of 14 when he was offered the unique opportunity to work as an assistant buyer for a local boutique. After only a few months, Jonathan was quickly promoted to buyer and merchandiser for the boutique. During his time working in a retail setting, he was able to work directly with the customers, learning exactly what they wanted in a garment and what made them feel beautiful. His buying and merchandising background has really shaped Jonathan Simkhai into the designer he is today. Upon graduating from high school, Jonathan went on to take classes at Parsons and the Fashion Institute of Technology, honing his skills as a designer and working for his family's fashion manufacturing company. It was there that he was given the opportunity to put his knowledge to the test and create a product. Jonathan spent two years learning about specs, production, fabric-sourcing, merchandising, and marketing. Simkhai spends most of his time reinventing classic styles and perfecting his understanding of the customer's needs. Confident that he had all of the tools needed to begin his own label, Jonathan launched his eponymous collection in 2010, presenting his take on sophisticated dressing for the modern, cosmopolitan woman. His collection indulges in ambiguity that blurs the gender lines within fashion and sexuality. Charged by men's fashion mores and drawing inspiration from beautiful fabrics like cashmere, wool, cotton, and silk that he utilizes, Simkhai's collection brings forth classic codes translated into sexy and feminine silhouettes. A member of the inaugural Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA), a fashion incubator, and a 2014 U.S. nominee for the International Woolmark Prize, Simkhai showed his first runway collection and was inducted into the CFDA in 2015.