Brand Alert: Keith Lissner

Keith Lissner is a baby. Well, not a literal baby (that would be weird), but a designer baby. His eponymous brand, Keith by Keith Lissner, is three seasons old! Of course, you wouldn't know that by looking at his dresses. He might only do dresses, but he does them really well. Warning: this post will cause your wallet to spontaneously die of a heart attack. FYI.

Here are three gowns from his Fall/Winter '09 collection. Um, yes please. I love the twist of nude sequins on the Grecian column gown, I love the black, sparkly insert on that emerald green dress, and the asymmetrical detailing on that last dress is making me drool. I mean, there is some serious red-carpet potential here, no?


The next six pics are from his Spring/Summer '09 collection. I can't find it for sale online, but supposedly it's in-store at Neiman Marcus. Which I may have to be making a trip to in the near future. The quirky, slightly goth/'50s vibe of that first dress is freaking adorable. The second and third dresses would move so well! And it's hard to tell, but the second dress isn't shapeless--it's a sheer layer of chiffon over a sequined, body-con mini. Sexy, but not too revealing. And that third dress is so ethereal and girly! I want to steal (I mean borrow...) it and spin around in circles while wearing it. That fourth dress is so red-carpet worthy. I love the off-the-shoulder sleeves, the sweetheart necklace, and the gentle a-line skirt. Sigh. And I wish I'd known about those last two dresses before I'd bought my prom dress...The first has a bit of a Herve Leger vibe, and the layered silver bodice/floaty pink skirt of that second dress is shutting it down.



Now for the stuff you can actually buy online! I'm not sure which collection these are actually from, but I think they might be earlier work (they're a bit more derivative than the other designs). Oh, and did I mention that they're surprisingly affordable?

Kelly, $290 at store.keithlissner.com, Julie, $200 at store.keithlissner.com: The front of that first dress is a little blah, but the back totally makes up for it. Yes, it's a little '90s, but the '90s are so it right now, and those straps are so cute. I swear Abaete had a dress just like this second one, but well, this version is way cheaper. The pattern is a bit '80s, but the sleek, asymmetrical silhouette keeps it modern.


Billie, $300 at store.keithlissner.com, Lily, $270 at store.keithlissner.com: That first dress is so Calvin Klein, it's killing me. Perfect for the chic minimalist/modernist, and form-fitting enough not to be boring. And that second dress is giving me a serious Lanvin vibe...but I really like it. It's a bit Grecian, but the colors are so juicy and saturated--it's such a fun dress! Love.


Kelly, $290 at store.keithlissner.com, Annie, $250 at store.keithlissner.com: I'm def not a fan of pastels, but I'm willing to overlook it here because the cut of that dress is so cute. The mini-length of the skirt and sheer overlay balance out the overt girliness of the bow and pale hue perfectly. The white, Grecian mini is my other favorite. It's like a flouncy little toga...but in a good way. I know I'm not convincing anyone but myself here, but I must. have. that. dress.


All of those were under $300. I think I'm falling for the new guy.

Image Sources:
Fall 2009: keithlissner.com, Spring 2009: wwd.com, Current Retail: store.keithlissner.com