Just one year ago, Whitney Port debuted her Whitney Eve fashion line at her first runway show at New York Fashion Week. Ever since, she's pummeled her way through the fashion world hunting for success, which you've seen well-documented on The City. Whitney Port showed her last collection for fall 2010 at a fashion show in Miami in March (check out the episode here), but tomorrow, Saturday, Sept. 11, she returns to New York Fashion Week once again to present her new collection for spring 2011. Exciting, right?! We caught up with the 25-year-old designer this week to find out what to expect from her new lineup. Read on to find out what she said!
If you could use only one word to describe the collection, what would it be? Whitney Port: "Dynamic. It covers so many different aspects of femininity, it reaches different demographics and body shapes and colors. It's more accessible and affordable. There is something for everyone."
What is your inspiration for this collection? "The inspiration came from wanting to speak to women of all ages and sizes, and make things cute and comfortable for them. I used easy, flowy fabrics. A lot of fabrics I utilized mixed the New York aesthetic and the Los Angeles aesthetic — the easy breezy aesthetic of Los Angeles and funk of New York."
What is the color palette for your new collection? "It's definitely a lot of color, a lot of sherbet tones — peaches and pistachio — and three different prints that are seen throughout."
How does this collection represent where you are right now in your life? "I think it represents where I am right now because my life is all over the place. There are so many different aspects of my life — the on-camera aspect, the laid-back aspect with my friends and family, the career-oriented aspect, the design aspect. This collection is about going from day to night, being that career-oriented career girl (or student) and accessorizing your outfit."
Are you designing the accessories, shoes, or jewelry for the collection? "No. Lulu Frost and DANNIJO are doing the jewelry, and Giuseppe Zanotti is doing the shoes. I really want to do accessories, it's been something I'm interested in. A lot of what you see on The City is shot all from the torso up, and I think you can do a lot with statement pieces. I think people see me as someone who wears a lot of big jewelry, so it would be fun to do a costume jewelry type line. In the future — a dream."
How is this show different than previous seasons? "I definitely feel more ready. Whether it's from working on other fashion shows or working in fashion in general, I feel really prepared. I feel like l can finally put out a collection that speaks to a lot more people. It’s not as boutique-y and it's a lot more affordable this season."
Why did you decide to make it more affordable? "As fashion designers, we have to take note that it's not fair to people who can't buy $1,000 dress. All of my pieces are in affordable fabrics. There are T-shirts (which she tweeted about this summer), and spandex pieces that are layering pieces are $30. It ranges up to $400 for special pieces."
Your show is tomorrow night. Are you doing any last-minute preparations? "The casting of the models is our biggest challenge right now. Obviously during Fashion Week it's a crazy time and all of the models are constantly pulled at by all the designers. There's a lot more to be done. We've styled out all the looks, so we know what 20 looks are going to be in the show. And we know what models we want, but it's a matter of getting the exact fit."
Is Roxy helping you this season? "She's not. She'll be there for moral support. She's a busy lady."
What's the best part about designing this collection? "All of the collections I've done have been so much fun. The more knowledge and the more education I can get the better the line is. It's something I never went to school for, so the more knowledge I get, the more advanced the line can be. I'm excited that I branched out and tried to create a very marketable collection."
How do you think you're evolving as a designer? "I just hope each season I continue to change and learn and grow. We should never be stuck in one way, and we need to evolve with time. We need to continue to grow in that way and not be so stuck in our own ways, and find inspiration from our other peers."
Do you want Joe Zee and the editors at Elle to see this collection? "If they want to see, then I would definitely not be opposed to that."