Whitney Eve

Honing in on a cool-girl craftiness (and her own signature style), Whitney Port sent fuzzy sweaters, mixed prints, and pretty florals down the runway this morning for her Fall Whitney Eve collection. Front-row celebs Nigel Barker, Tyson Beckford, and Coco Rocha nodded along as models hit the catwalk and Beyoncé's "Run the World (Girls)" blared in Lincoln's Studio. The soundtrack may have been just a bit over-the-top — flirty floral dresses and peplum don't exactly scream tough-girl — but chain-adorned velvet trousers and burnout velvet pants may speak more to that edginess. As a whole, though, the collection feels decidedly breezy and feminine, albeit with that same quirkiness — read: mixed prints, playful cropped proportions, bold hues, and a splash of sequins — that defines Whitney's own LA style.

• Trends: Velvet, mixed prints, textured knits, florals, crop tops, peplum.
• Colors: Orange, black, navy, nude.
• Key Piece: The cropped printed knit mixed with the printed miniskirt.
• Accessories: Angular, geometric necklaces; metallic ankle-strap platforms and socks.
• Who Would Wear It: Quirky-cool 20-somethings like Whitney herself.

Whitney Port has been on our style radar for quite some time now — we love her effortless appeal and inventive mix-and-match skills — and even though the star of The Hills and The City is "relieved to not have to dress [up] for the cameras anymore," it doesn't mean she's slowing down. Whitney has been hard at work designing the Spring '12 collection for her line Whitney Eve and recently teamed up with Chandon and the National Breast Cancer Foundation for a night of fashion, sparkling wine, and charity on a gorgeous evening in Napa. We headed to Domaine Chandon to check out the Whitney Eve presentation and talk to the style star about her work with the NBCF, her design inspiration, and her plans for Fall dressing.

FabSugar: What inspired you to get involved with the National Breast Cancer Foundation?
Whitney Port: I have family members that have been affected by the disease, and I really want to stress the importance of early detection. It's so crucial to go out and get tested, because the earlier they find something, the better chances you have of survival.

FS: You've lived in NYC and Los Angeles — how do you differentiate East Coast vs. West Coast dressing?
WP: When I lived in New York, I was inspired to dress up a lot more, and look more sophisticated. But when I'm in LA, I prefer to keep things casual — most days when I go to the office I'm in cutoffs, a t-shirt, and Converse sneakers. I'm so relieved to not have to dress up for the camera anymore. It's fun to go out and do events and get dolled up, but most of the time I'm just at a bar with friends, totally dressed down.

Click through to read more quotes from Whitney and see the ladylike, quirky-cool Spring collection for Whitney Eve.

Photos courtesy of Drew Altizer Photography

The latest episode of The City left me curious about Whitney Port's Fall line. So of course, I had to check out the complete collection. Staying true to her eclectic ways, Whitney created crinkled velvet trenches, lamé-printed dresses, and iridescent animal-print skirts. For the vintage gal, the celeb designer also delivered ivory lace leggings and dresses. Textured, daring, interesting. What are your thoughts?