By
Amy Levin at
College Fashionista Here's an excerpt from the interview:
CollegeFashionista: When did you know you wanted to go into the fashion industry? Was there a defining moment you can recall?
Whitney Port: I first knew I wanted a job in the industry when I was in middle school and I worked for my father over the summer who has been in the apparel industry forever. Whether he needed us or not he gave my sisters and I a job to design a loungewear line. I knew right then and there that I was destined to be a designer.
CF: Your resume is beyond impressive from your experience with Teen Vogue to DVF. How has your background shaped you and your work ethic?
WP: I have been so lucky to have the jobs I have had at 26 years old. It is no doubt that being on television helped paved the way however I have been able to learn from some of the most influential people in the fashion industry- most powerful women who have taught me that being average will not cut it and that in order to achieve your fullest potential you must step out of the lines and take chances.
Working for all these different companies has also showed me that patience is of the utmost importance. While we have to take control and do everything we can possibly do get ourselves out there, success doesn't happen overnight and we have to work for what we get.
CF: What inspires your line, Whitney Eve?
WP: So many different things inspire my line- from all my travels and seeing the different influences in fashion across the world, to seeing the tones and shapes of nature, to reading the foreign publications and trend reports to blogs like style bubble and whowhatwear. I think about my life and its needs in terms of clothing and try to translate that into a visual expression of my character.
CF: Who are some of your fashion icons?
WP: My fashion icons- Princess Diana, Jerry Hall, Alexa Chung, Gwyneth Paltrow, Rhianna.
CF: If you could, what advice would you give to yourself back when you were a senior in college?
WP: I would say do not be concerned with your degree or your gpa or even knowing exactly what you want to do. Listen to your gut, move to a new city and throw yourself into something you think you might be into! Don't be afraid of hard work but don't also put a lot pressure on yourself to figure everything out. I am 26 years old and maybe on the surface it looks like I have done something but by no means do I know where I'm headed or where I'm meant to be yet.
