Picture Maria Callas stepping onto Ari’s yacht or Grace Kelly gliding off the USS Constitution into Monaco for her wedding. Find yourself wistfully longing for a slice of that elegance in your life? Enter, Kalinka, fashion designer extraordinaire.

Based in New York, Kalinka creates fresh, yet vintage-inspired, cocktail dresses that can make any woman feel red carpet stunning. Her fashion philosophy is, “I’ve always had my three C’s- if my clothes can give a woman Confidence, Comfort and Compliments, then I’ve done my job.”

Kalinka’s start in the fashion industry was only natural. Largely influenced by her mother’s spectacular style, she quips, “I was born dressed.”

Why fashion? Kalinka’s answer is simple, “I had no choice. Fashion chooses you!” Her first collection was bought by Barney’s and then her second collection appeared in Bergdorf Goodman windows. Her designs simply took off from there.

Her designs have been worn by such stars as Julianne Moore, Kylie Minogue, and Carrie Ann Moss. However, Kalinka herself wouldn’t boast this, as she says, “I’ve had some absolutely amazing celebs wear my clothes. But, I must say, the person I’m most concerned with is the one reflected back in that dressing room mirror when a woman’s trying on my clothes. My customers are my ‘Celebs’.” How refreshing!

Kalinka also dresses a member of the Jordanian Royal family. She designed 12 dresses for her honeymoon trousseau. Kalinka attended the Royal wedding in Amman and says of her visit, “Jordan is a spectacular country, I adored it!”

Working with couture fabric houses in France and Italy Kalinka develops gowns that have a very modern yet old world sophistication. Her fall lines will include brocades, metallics and couture-y touches of the late 50s and early 60s. Her signature look for this fall is the knee length Star Dress accented with fabulous gold detailing. Kalinka says, “It’s the perfect dress to go to cocktail parties, out to dinner, to weddings, and women have even gotten married in it!”

Kalinka’s collections have arrived in Canada and hang with Oscar de la Renta and Colette Dinnigan in the Holt Renfrew Couture Department.

Barbara Atkin, VP of Fashion Direction, comments, “We have picked up Kalinka because of her sexy dresses. Kalinka definitely knows how to dress the Diva within. Her dresses are pure glamour that never dates. These are clothes for women who love to make a dramatic entrance…no shrinking violets here!”

See some of Kalinka’s gorgeous designs on the next page!

Images courtesy of Lina A. Reinsbakken


Blue/Black Taffeta Brocade Star Dress

Brown/Gold/Green French Brocade Dress

Black/Gold Chantilly Dress

Images courtesy of Lina A. Reinsbakken