Name: Whitney Port
Age: 28
Job Title and Description: Designer and President of Whitney Eve
College/Major: University of Southern California/ Gender Studies
Website: www.whitneyeve.com (shop my line!) and www.whitneyport.com (my blog)
Twitter Handle: @whitneyeveport
What does your current job entail? Is there such a thing as a typical day?
Whitney Port: My current job is designing my collection, Whitney Eve, as well as making sure the company is running properly. I am currently selling my Spring 2014 collection while designing my summer delivery as well as Fall 2014. There really is no such thing as a typical day. Some days I travel for trade shows, have photo shoots, source fabrics, or take meetings. Other days, I am simply sitting at my desk on email or organizing my collections.
What is the best part of your job?
WP: The best part of my job is seeing women wearing my clothes. It is beyond satisfying and amazingly flattering. My goal when I design is to have a woman look at it, try it on, feel empowered and sexy in it, and want to express herself through it.
What was your first entry-level job in your field and how did you get it?
WP: My first entry-level job was as an intern at SWAT FAME, a jean company in downtown Los Angeles. My best friend and I decided we needed jobs over the summer. Our friend’s father owned the company so we met with him and got the job! We assisted the denim designers.
What is one thing you wish you knew about your industry when you first started out that you know now?
WP: The one thing I wish I knew then that I feel I know now is that you need to have a business-minded sensibility before you just start to dabble in the creative stuff. It’s one thing to design something because you THINK everyone will love it, but it’s another to actually pay attention to what’s going on in the market in a broader sense and design more broadly.
Who is one person who changed your professional life for the better?
WP: There have been many people who have changed my professional life for the better, but the one person who stands out is my father. He took a leap of faith with me and partnered with me to start this endeavor. He nurtured me through the process and taught me how to be savvy and business-minded.
What is one thing about your job that would surprise our readers?
WP: One thing about my job that would surprise readers is that success doesn’t happen overnight! This industry is competitive and only the strong survive!
What words of wisdom do you find most valuable?
WP: The one thing that I have held onto (as simple as it is) is to never give up because it could be at that very moment you gave up, something remarkable was about to happen.
What is one mistake you made along the way and what did you learn from it?
WP: One mistake I made along the way was treating my collection as an art project instead of a business. I would buy the most expensive fabrics and make the most outlandish pieces [in hopes that] people would appreciate them. I learned that women don’t need expensive silks to feel cool—they need cool style to feel cool. And that’s what I’ve done – created cool, accessible style.
Do you have any plans to expand Whitney Eve? If not, where do you see Whitney Eve in five years?
WP: In terms of expanding, I am working on a jewelry line at the moment, which will come out exclusively on my website during the holidays. Whitney Eve will hopefully continue to expand geographically and be available to girls everywhere!
What do you look for when considering hiring someone?
WP: The one characteristic I absolutely love in someone is the ability to have the positive attitude that anything can be done. I don’t do well with “no” people.
What advice would you give to a 20-something with similar aspirations?
WP: I would tell someone looking to do the same thing that design school will propel them even further in the right direction. I feel like I would be years ahead in my skill if I did this and my product would be 100 times better.