Brigitte Kleine

Brigitte Kleine is the chief executive of Khaite. Partnering with founder and creative director Catherine Holstein, Kleine has scaled the independent luxury label through disciplined direct-to-consumer and wholesale expansion, establishing a joint venture with distributor Yagi Tsusho in 2025 to drive the brand's growth across Japan.

Kleine graduated from Rutgers University before spending nearly a decade leading international business and licensing at Donna Karan International from 1993 to 2001. She served as president of the Americas for Alexander McQueen and subsequently ran the women's collection business at Michael Kors as president. Between 2005 and 2016, Kleine served as president of Tory Burch, where she helped expand the brand from $2 million in annual sales to more than $1 billion in revenue.

In 2017, Kleine joined growth equity firm Stripes as an operating partner. She joined Khaite's board of directors in 2021 and was appointed chief executive of Khaite in 2023, enabling Holstein to focus on creative direction and merchandising. Kleine has since guided the label past $300 million in annual sales.

Khaite opened its first standalone flagship on Mercer Street in New York in 2023, generating $6 million in its first year. The brand has subsequently opened stores on New York’s Madison Avenue, as well as in Los Angeles, Costa Mesa and Dallas.