Whit (Q3683)
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Whit is a fashion house from FMD.
| Language | Label | Description | Also known as |
|---|---|---|---|
| English | Whit |
Whit is a fashion house from FMD. |
Statements
Looking at Whit’s clothes makes a person want to pick up their bags and leave New York. This is a good thing. The looks bring you back to yesteryear, a picturesque time when global warming wasn’t in our vocabulary, everyone was always enjoying some sort of picnic, and there was no social media. Designer Whitney Pozgay is a bit of a model citizen, too. She always appears happy and positive, and, yes, cares about the environment. Pozgay uses mostly natural fibers, which are so soft they feel like a thousand cherubs kissing the skin, and tries to seek out mills that are eco-friendly. Her latest task was to find a mill that doesn’t contribute to ink runoff, another problem that poses a challenge to sustainability.Pozgay decided to shoot the collection at the retro Silver Sands Motel in Greenport, New York, a marshy, vineyard-dotted area located on the North Fork of Long Island across the bay from the Hamptons. In this idyllic setting, her collection came to life. It is, after all, a sweet little motel that was built in the ’50s and has a strong Americana vibe, just as Pozgay’s clothes do. Sometimes, her pieces have a time-capsule effect and may appear unchanged from the inspiration of their vintage era, like a sweet floral print orange babydoll dress, but Pozgay usually adds modern touches to bring her clothes into 2019.Take what looked like a high-waisted skirt fit forMad Men’s Betty Draper, but was actually a pair of huge palazzo pants that would be at home in any cool Brooklyn woman’s wardrobe. Another standout was the simplest of the bunch: A white dress with a paper bag waist and cut-outs at the hips. It was clean and pure. While Whit’s pert ginghams, earth-loving materials, and groovy floral prints may not deserve a city’s air pollution or frigid corporate life, they have a way of making the wearer feel alive and fresh, like they aren’t caught up in the smog of 9-5 culture.
14 September 2019
For Fall 2019, Whitney Pozgay dropped the phrase “prairie on acid,” to describe her collection. While she did use the term jokingly, Pozgay had a point: The clothes had the label’s signature homespun elements, but the prints had a definitive trippy effect. A peasant dress with Edwardian bib detailing came in a leopard print on a deep fuchsia backdrop with the spots in radioactive green and blue hues. A shirtdress with dropped peasant sleeves (so the puff started at the bicep) was covered in blown-out animal spots and saturated in lavender and green, all of which was a refreshing way to add a kick to the ubiquitous animal print.Prints aside, the silhouettes have an old-school charm. There was an extreme baby doll dress in burnt orange, a look that could appear childish, but, as Pozgay noted, it could also be toughened up with a pair of hefty combat boots. (Pozgay referencedHole-era Courtney Love’s style when talking about this piece.) Peasant blouses with bibs are no doubt popular right now, and Pozgay churned out several of them, including one in optic white with darts at the waist that artfully cinched the body inwards. While it appeared as if the shirt could have been worn a century ago, it was also modern thanks to the updated tailoring, and it was easy to imagine with a pair of jeans. Women looking to veer from the standard animal print or the yesteryear feel of the current, very trending frock movement will be happy with this collection’s offerings.
20 February 2019
Whitney Pozgay and her husband, artist Parker Argote, recently moved their studio from the bustling Garment District into their apartment in Williamsburg. The exit from the city has been revitalizing. There is more air in Brooklyn, more greenery, and, of course, more room. (Pozgay showed me the backyard garden, a pretty green oasis.) This season, that newfound serenity translated into the collection quite literally. Pozgay tapped artists B.D. Graft and Tara Booth to make the plant-based prints. Some were refreshingly bold and needed a double take, like a loose tank dress that boasted a mélange of infinite groovy flowers that closely fit together like a kaleidoscope, some with warped smiley faces hidden in the centers. Pozgay also noted that she is trying to pay more attention to form, cinching a waist on a dress or cropping a tank. A wonderful example of a more structured silhouette was a high-waist skirt with a deeply defined pleat that was printed with Graft’s primary-colored vases and plants.For those not seeking a strong print, there were solid tanks and tops. A tiny cropped tank, so small it would only cover the bust, had an endearing homespun effect thanks to the large buttons down the front. A cropped blouse with puffed sleeves felt very light and effortless with the adjustable crisscrossed back straps. These are the type of clothes that, while they do reveal a good amount of skin, don’t scream sexy but instead say self-care, with artful coverage and the use of natural fabrics like linen and organic cotton.Speaking of fabrics, the label has made developments in that area. Pozgay recently came off of participating in the CFDA + Lexus Fashion Initiative, a program that promotes sustainable practices. The experience helped the designer rethink what goes into her collections, and she has since removed many of the synthetics and is now using low-impact fibers. It’s nice knowing that one can enjoy wearing these pieces guilt-free—and without a trace of granola, either.
12 September 2018
After decamping to Los Angeles to present her Spring 2018 collection, Whitney Pozgay came back to New York for Fall. Instead of setting up inside her new Brooklyn studio, however, the designer opted to show at her friend Steven Sclaroff’s interior design shop in lower Manhattan. Filled with antique furniture and vintage knickknacks (and a stuffed boar’s head, too), the cabinet of curiosities provided just the right setting for Pozgay’s artful, eye-catching wares. This season, she focused on aspects of layering, looking at images of traditionally decorated homes that featured bold works from the Memphis art group. This was the Memphis before “that whole ’80sSaved by the Bellmoment happened,” Pozgay said jokingly. The juxtaposition of quirk and classic inspired quirky abstract prints on plaid and color-blocking using solid shaped patterns. The artist Ettore Sottsass was another muse for Pozgay’s Fall lineup, which she admitted was always a tough season to conquer due to Whit’s breezy, airy aesthetic.“This season was really about exercising restraint,” the designer explained. “We were really focused on transitional clothes and we spent a lot of time editing.” This gesture proved successful for Pozgay. The clothes felt a tad less girly and playful than in recent seasons and, overall, there was a certain sophistication about the offering, particularly with pieces like a day-to-night workwear jumpsuit that came with a thick karate belt. The boxy peplum cotton poplin shirts were also standouts. Pozgay will always do well with her pretty printed dresses, but this season, there was more than that. Even with such a tightly edited collection, the mixed and matched pieces, the prints on top of classic patterns, and the architectural details provided an impressive range.
20 February 2018
“For Fall we got really dark, and I think for Spring we wanted to clean the palette and make it light and airy again,” designer Whitney Pozgay said of her new direction for Spring ’18. Presenting for the very first time in Los Angeles, the Arizona-born designer best known for her signature painterly prints was drawn back to her roots, inspired by the airiness and optimism of the Southwest and spring desert.Befitting the new locale, Pozgay kept a keen eye on easy, airy shapes for warmer weather—feminine but still minimal, never fussy. Where the designer has normally gravitated toward oversize silhouettes in the past, this season offered more options for tailoring: Pull cords and belts were fastened and nipped, while one dress was off the shoulder on one side but stationary on the other so that it still had an architectural feel. Pozgay kept her louder prints clean, and solids were where she tried her hand at more detail, in the shape of oversize buttons down the back of a dress or large closures down the side.As is her custom, Pozgay imbued the collection with prints conceived with her painter husband, imparting new life to the breathable, natural fabrics her customers have come to covet. While oversize gingham felt more in the of-the-moment category than Whit often inhabits, the designer’s take on leafy botanicals, moon phase prints, and a collaborative oversize charcoal floral by Brooklyn-based artist Helen Dealtry will no doubt be what leave the most lasting impression. A Spring collection that’s abloom, ripe with rainbows of color, proves that Pozgay is continuing to evolve the conversation.
7 September 2017
Last year, Whitney Pozgay and her husband, painter Parker Argote, got on a big French Asian kick. “We got kind of obsessed with a certain genre of Asian influence in French art and interiors,” said Pozgay. “My husband started getting really focused on Asian artists living in Paris at the end of the 1800s and beginning of the 1900s. And we were like, this is such an interesting moment in art that we don’t talk enough about.” One of those artists was Sanyu—sometimes dubbed the “Chinese Matisse”—whose work provided the inspiration for a number of the prints, most notably one featuring loosely line-drawn nude women. The print was oversize and—since this is Whit—very painterly. It was clearly a favorite, as Pozgay herself was sporting it at the presentation.Elsewhere the Asian influence was felt in the bird patterns and rich palette, reminiscent of Orientalist tapestries and objets. In the late 19th-century and early 20th century such pieces were typically for the rich; but Pozgay and Argote had the inspired idea of blending them with the workwear of the period. “That era of art was mostly very precious, very bougie,” said Pozgay. “We kind of had this idea like, what if the working class of that era had access to that same inspiration and textiles.” The two reference points comingled beautifully on apron-style dresses in rich tapestry shades, as well as on jumpsuits that tied at the waist, karate gi–style. Many of these pieces were styled with graphic and painterly printed blouses, which sharpened the juxtaposition. Whether 19th century workers would have gravitated to such looks is up for debate, but certainly, come fall, a good many 21st-century women will.
9 February 2017
Art informs all of Whitney Pozgay’s collections, and for Spring ’17, she took the idea to new heights. Staged at the New York Academy of Art in Tribeca, models stood in the center of a gallery surrounded by illustrators and painters re-creating their looks on paper. Some of the artists were friends of Pozgay’s, while others were discovered on Instagram or attended the school. “I thought this was a nice way to tie it back to the art references, and it’s so fun to see other artists’ interpretations [of the clothes],” Pozgay said.Growing up in Arizona, Pozgay went on countless road trips through the Southwest with her family, so that region was her starting point for Spring. There were bright, serape-inspired stripes, an abstract snake print (painted by Pozgay’s husband), and simple nipped-waist sundresses in terra-cotta and yellow. Since she grew up in a neighborhood surrounded by citrus groves, Pozgay tapped Wayne Pate to paint the charming lemon tree print on a slip dress and cutout maillot (which could easily double as a bodysuit). In the past, Whit’s offering has skewed a bit more girly and formal, but these were easy, unfussy pieces you could imagine packing in your suitcase for a trip to Mexico. And while arty inspirations run the risk of looking too one-dimensional, the personal references here made Pozgay’s collection feel that much more special.
8 September 2016
For designerWhitney Pozgay, art is a constant source of inspiration: She often collaborates with artists, including her husband, painter Parker Argote, and her painterly prints often borrow heavily from MoMA-minted icons. This season, Pozgay turned her eye away from the canvas, and focused instead on a famous face behind the scenes: collector, muse, and patron Peggy Guggenheim.“We liked the idea of skipping a stone across the 20th century through her eyes,” said Pozgay, who conceived of the collection in three sections, one for Guggenheim’s years in London and Paris, another when she opened her American gallery, and then her later life in Venice. That translated to prints with references to both Dada and American abstract art, as well as easy, feminine silhouettes and pajama- and loungewear-inspired blouses. Ruffles are having a major moment this season, and Pozgay hit it out of the park with hers: On a sheer floral top and dress they were utterly romantic, but on thin button-downs they were ready for the artist’s studio. Ms. Guggenheim would have approved of either.
15 February 2016
Colors and prints tend to have a short lifespan in the fashion cycle, so when they happen to be your signatures, keeping them fresh is key. One way Whit designerWhitney Pozgaymanages to do that each season is by enlisting artists to collaborate on her prints, from New York artist Adam Handler to her own husband, Parker Argote, who has painted many of her signature motifs over the years. The final results are crafty and eclectic, not trendy or loud (read: no digital prints here). For Spring, Pozgay wanted to illustrate the contrast of hot air balloons over the African savannah—an image packed with opposites like hard and soft, artificial and natural, old and new. Striking shades of poppy and lemon popped against ivory, sand, and black on straight midi skirts, boxy shift dresses, and off-the-shoulder blouses, many of which were stamped with a series of tribal prints. Each one was handmade, like the blocky, geometric print that was initially laid out with sport tape, or the sweet, slightly retro African lily print. “We wanted to reappropriate the tribal theme in a more artful way,” Pozgay explained. She tapped Handler—who recently showed his work at the Fred Torres Gallery—to paint a giraffe across the entire front of a crisp shirtdress.Elsewhere, the idea of “tribal” clothing was subtler and, in some ways, already engrained in the Whit vernacular: Mixed prints, wrap details, and voluminous shapes are hallmarks of traditional African style, but they’re also the elements Pozgay always goes back to. “It’s all the things we love mashed together,” she said. “It’s crisp and wearable, and there are plays on proportion, like bell sleeves with a skinny skirt, but it’s still forward and fun.”
10 September 2015
Considering her aesthetic leans toward the girly side, Whit designer Whitney Pozgay's inspiration for Resort felt a bit out of left field. "I'm obsessed with the Museum of Natural History," she explained. "Especially all of the stylized dioramas." She interpreted the reference literally with a "fern study" print that resembled plant illustrations in a biology textbook, as well as with a blown-up North American jaguar print on pink scuba. The results were sharp and precise and will resonate with women who are used to finding polka dots and stripes at Whit.The main constants here were the silhouettes. Pozgay's away-from-the-body shirtdresses and boxy blouses appeal to girls who want to look sweet, but nottoosweet; collaborations with Anthropologie—and being stocked at Madewell—speak to her ability to make those shapes flattering and palatable for a wide range of shoppers.
18 June 2015
While you wouldn't necessarily pin prim-and-proper-looking Whitney Pozgay as a feminist punk, the riot grrrl curtain came down at her Spring presentation, where she donned a silk blouse inspired by Bikini Kill front woman Kathleen Hanna that read, "Girls to the Front" (the title of her new collection). The emerging designer has always served up fashion with a dose of fun, and described the latest lineup as a modern tribute to her teenage years. "When you're young, you kind of want to discover everything, and don't let yourself be put in a box," Pozgay said. "You are free to be both feminine and tough, thoughtful and reckless, womanly and girly."In recent seasons, Whit has hit its stride with playful novelty prints. This time around, Pozgay cranked up the creativity factor a notch by collaborating with four different artists (Jill Galarneau, Gordon Holden, Amanda Jasnowski, and Mary Matson) on original prints that she incorporated throughout the collection. (Accompanying works decorated the walls at Whit's gallery venue in Chelsea.) Particularly noteworthy here was a white caricature T-shirt paired with an iridescent striped skirt, as well as silk culottes covered in scribbles not unlike what you'd find on the cover of a used fifth-grade textbook.In keeping with this imaginative spirit, Pozgay and her husband (who happens to be a painter himself) experimented with an industrial-sized spin-art machine in their apartment. This gave way to the vibrant splatters found on easy silk shirtdresses, which came styled with a sporty "tech tutu" and holographic slip-on sneakers. All of this was relatively edgy, unexplored territory for Whit, but Pozgay couldn't help but add a pop of floral to the mix. She evoked the texture of petals by combining pom-poms with overdyed seersucker on suiting separates, and showed a positively lovely trapeze dress featuring a sheer latticework overlay worn with a colorful daisy slip underneath.
3 September 2014
Whitney Pozgay's collections for Whit are often geographically inspired, and Fall 2014 was one such outing. Thankfully, the designer's concepts never overshadow the collection and, per usual, Whit presented an easily wearable assortment for those who like their fashion with a bit of fun. This season, Pozgay drew upon the whimsical folklore and mid-century modernity of Scandinavia for the prints and palette. A standout graphic print of blown-up black ink splats, which Pozgay dubbed "inky cow," was featured on a sleeveless silk dress that gathered asymmetrically at one shoulder, and was echoed in small-spotted calf-hair Chelsea boots—one of several styles in Whit's first season of footwear, produced with Jacques Levine. "We've always wanted to do a Rorschach test," said Pozgay, and the prints were just abstract enough to be open to interpretation—spiky blue thistles on cream silk chiffon looked a little like marijuana leaves, and a vintage print of concentric orbs that reappeared in pale pink, black, cream, and jade might have been olives, moons, or billiard balls. Richly textured pieces, like a subtly holographic skirt, popcorn-surfaced sweatshirts, and a shearling-paneled quilted wool coat, added some depth to the whimsy.Pozgay loves a pinafore, and said when she discovered via Instagram that customers were wearing a previous season's with nothing underneath, she raised the armholes on a little leather dress she showed atop a striped long-sleeved tee. "For versatility!" she added with a laugh, sounding slightly scandalized by the spare styling of social media. It's obvious the designer is tuned in to her audience: Models were accessorized with not only her new shoe collection but also Warby Parker sunglasses and swinging pendants from Lizzie Fortunato—just like real girls.
5 February 2014
One of the perks of being a designer in the CFDA Fashion Incubator program is the chance to travel, expenses paid, to a destination of your choice for a weeklong inspiration trip. Whitney Pozgay chose Bali, and she and her husband, along with photographer Greg Vore, tacked on an extra week to double the inspiration potential. Their wanderlust paid off. Vore's photographs served as the basis for many of the collection's prints—the white squiggles on a sporty seafoam-green dress are an aerial view of rice paddies—and Pozgay's husband painted the turquoise-plumed roosters that provide a splash of saturated color in an otherwise subdued springtime palette.A sarong-friendly, tropical ease permeated, although Pozgay did incorporate the graphic angularity of the country's temples into the silhouette. Nipped high waists, cutouts, and subtle pleats at the top of wide-leg pants provided structure, but the prints made the pieces pop. Pozgay paired a traditional batik pattern, cleaned up and sharpened, with her take on a ceremonial gingham check she saw wrapped around holy trees and statues while temple-hopping. At her presentation Pozgay said she was aiming to capture Bali's "quiet elegance." She succeeded in creating understated looks that still felt playful—a versatile mix that should appeal to her clients.
3 September 2013
After a Spring collection filled with honeymoon essentials for the Coachella set, Whit designer Whitney Pozgay turned her gaze toward Swinging London—specifically, toward Marianne Faithfull in her Mick Jagger days. That reference set the tone for an assembly of looks long on sixties rock flair.The King's Road feel manifested as fur-collared coats, abbreviated A-line dresses, and leopard-patterned separates, including a jacquard knit sweatsuit. Paisley showed up as an allover print and isolated as a single overblown petal embroidered on sweatshirts and handbags. The rosettes on a substantial wool lace top echoed the smudgy-edged polka dots on a coordinating skirt. That fabric, from an Italian mill, "captures the romance we were going after," Pozgay said.What kept it modern was the crispness that, in a few brief seasons, has come to characterize the CFDA Incubator member's aesthetic. Her bright-eyed, prep and vintage-inflected sensibility is Kate Spade and Steven Alan (both early employers) by way of the Brooklyn look. It's wardrobe territory plenty of women will be eager to embrace—particularly if it comes with one of Yestadt Millinery's floppy-brimmed hats.
5 February 2013