Lady LUX

Whitney Pozgay, a former designer for Steven Alan and Kate Spade, held her first New York Fashion Week show for her namesake line, WHIT, on Sept. 9.

“We are showing for the first time! (It’s) very nerve-racking, but exciting,” Whitney told LadyLUX a week earlier while prepping for the show.

Around 200 people gathered at Ceco Studios in New York City to see the launch of Whitney’s spring/summer beach-chic collection, which featured espadrille-clad models in tribal-patterned cotton ensembles. Seriousness was checked at the door along with tickets, and the mood was just what show-goers love about spring—effortless cool.

LadyLUX had a chance to catch up with Whitney post-show to hear how her inaugural NYFW presentation went.

LadyLUX: How’d the show go?
Whitney Pozgay: I think that the show went really well, but it was all sort of a blur. It was really fun to see it come to life on the girls.

LL: Any people you were excited to see?
WP: For a first show, I think that anyone is going to be nervous that no one will show up, so you are pretty excited to see anyone (laughs). But seriously, we had an amazing press turnout. It was during the day on a work day, so I was really flattered that so many of my friends were able to take time out of work to come. Press is always fantastic, but having friends and family there to be proud was the best part.

LL: I loved the tulipy skirts, tribal/batik patterns, and the Euro-rural feel … What was your inspiration for your spring line?
WP: The general vibe for the season is tribal beach. I was feeling nostalgic for summers spent at the beach and how we would wear zinc on our faces as kids in a tribal sort of way. From there I started researching tribal face painting and worked with an illustrator friend, Paulina Reyes, to incorporate that into prints. I also pulled some vintage Indian prints and had them redone in bright colors … but all in fun, feminine shapes. The result is a little ‘surf safari’ meets ‘Bardot at the beach.’

LL: I felt like I was on an exotic vacation, especially with the espadrilles, but I wasn’t sure where I was. Did you have a place in mind?
WP: I think that the girl I had in mind was traveling around from beach to beach, picking up influences as she went. It sort of works anywhere, from Bali to St. Tropez to Montauk.

For more information about Whitney’s line, check out her website at www.whit-ny.com. Also, don’t forget to take a peek at the video (below) of her NYFW debut!

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