Olivia Palermo - A Look At Her New Collection //

Every so often the fashion collaboration stars align and you get a collection so good, so perfect, that you wonder what your closets were like before it arrived. Such is the case with Olivia Palermo’s latest project with in-house Nordstrom label Chelsea28.

On February 8, the entrepreneur, model, style icon, and designer will release a 32-piece collection that ranges from a bold pajama set in a poppy floral print to a tailored denim jumpsuit you won’t want to take off.

How did you find time to design a full collection? What’s your secret to juggling it all?

Olivia Time management! I’m working 24 hours a day, but I’m passionate about it. It’s what makes me wake up in the morning with a big smile on my face. I spend the first half of my day dealing with Europe because of the time difference. Then in the evening my website gets my undivided attention.

Did you fit the clothes on yourself?
OP: Absolutely. I test-drove the collection around Nordstrom’s offices to make sure everything looked good in motion.

Where did you look for inspiration?
OP: I was feeling 1970s, with a touch of French. I drew on the classic Breton stripe, vintage Hermès scarves, and stylish Parisian girls.

Your personal wardrobe is to die for. How would you style a piece like the suede trench vest [pictured below]?
OP: I love the idea of layering it. I’d wear it as a dress with a chunky turtleneck under it, and thigh-high boots or pumps.

And what would you wear on a date with your husband [Johannes Huebl]?
OP: The nice thing about Johannes is, he likes me casual. I mean, he also likes me dressed up. I guess he likes me no matter what! [Laughs.] But I think the blue-and-white outfit [left] feels so fresh for a date. I would style it with a wrap belt and sandals. 

OK, so real talk: How do you manage to look so put together all the time?
OP: My mom instilled in me at a young age how important it is to be properly dressed when you leave the house, no matter the time of day. Even if it’s 4:30 A.M. and you’re heading to the airport, you want to look and feel your best. Obviously everyone has their down days, but—

Wait, you? Do you ever just want to put on sweatpants? 
OP: No. If I do, it’s only for the gym.

In your case, your off-duty look might wind up in the pages of a magazine. Does that bother you?
OP: I don’t look at paparazzi photos. And most of my friends don’t want to be photographed, so they walk four feet to the side. If you see a photo of me laughing, that’s why—because my friends don’t want to walk with me.

Did you always know you wanted to work in fashion?
OP: Growing up, I wanted to be a sports commentator. Then my aunt [who worked at New York City auction house Doyle] introduced me to the fashion industry, and everything sort of fell into place. 

Next came a reality-TV show and then a job with Diane von Furstenberg. Did you ever feel that, because of your background as a reality-TV star, you weren’t taken seriously by the fashion industry? 
OP: No. I’ve always had the mentality of: work hard, get to bed early, focus—and let your work speak for itself.

"[The collection is for] a younger age group, so I think it was really important that I started by building a foundation. And because we are doing this for spring, fall, and holiday, I thought it was important to build throughout the collections. I call them lifewear pieces."

"That was really what I wanted for this collection: keeping it youthful."

"We're still in winter when the collection hits stores, and the temperature is kind of in between, so I really wanted the girls to be able to wear pieces now because that's how the girl shops—she wants something immediately—so really trying to have this well edited and think about that."

"When I was growing up, [I studied] in Paris, and I think there was a bit of European influence that just always stuck with me. So I don't think I necessarily realised when we started to work on the collection, but there is a bit of a French feel to it."

"Most of the pieces are relatively structured, but there's still a little bit of movement in it. I think it gives it that feminine touch."

  

"For the pajama set, we took a vintage print and played with the colours and blew it up a bit. [We also did a] paisley. I was thinking very '70s feel, kind of old-school Pucci."

"We really focused on elevating the denim."

"Proportions are extremely important. For girls on the go who are not always in heels (to be realistic, you change), I wanted things that you can wear with flats and then slip a pair of heels on, so that was the idea between picking out a lot of midi pieces."

"The fabric [is what makes a piece of clothing look expensive]. … The one thing I'm a super stickler for is quality. If it's not great quality, then I'm not interested."