Shaun White at Macy's at The Bloc retail center in downtown Los Angeles. Images courtesy Shaun White and Macy's.
Shaun White: Make Room for WHT Space
It was the barbed comment that couldn’t be ignored.
Approaching age 30, Shaun White made a reputation as an Olympic gold medalist and as an entrepreneur. He was walking away from a crowd of people one day, and someone in the crowd said “You must love boys clothing!” The comment made White laugh. One of his businesses was producing a line of boy’s clothing for Target. But the comment rankled.
While he enjoyed the children’s clothing business, he did not want to be defined by it. White ratcheted up many accomplishments in the sports of snowboarding and skateboarding. He had made millions of dollars from his ventures in a myriad of fields; they included video games, designing clothes for snowboard brands, ownership of Air + Style snowboarding and lifestyle festival, as well as minority ownership of ski slopes at Mammoth Resorts. But fashion was of high importance to him. He vowed that his next act in the field would reflect more of where he was in life. Enter his collection for Macy’s; WHT Space.
Recently, White dropped by the Macy’s at downtown Los Angeles retail center The Bloc. It was a press day, a meet and greet with fans, and a party for the second season of WHT Space. The collection had embraced White’s current world, said Kevin Duffel, the brand’s creative director. “It’s inspired from Shaun’s travels,” Duffel said. “He dug through his closet, and said ‘this is what inspires me.’”
The line is more inspired by New York monochromes than bright California colors, Duffel said. Looks include a black, padded bomber jacket, a black sweatshirt with quilted-style fabric and a black T-shirt with a Joy Division-inspired graphic. There’s some color to the line, think a red button down T-shirt, and a red corduroy fleece jacket.
The line’s moniker also is a play on White’s last name and a call to creativity, the snowboarder said. Macy’s executives working with him on the line often asked him “What are you going to fit in that white space?” White recalled.
He spent time thinking about filling it up. He shot pictures for the line’s marketing campaign in New Zealand, and has charted how the line will change with his evolving style.“I like living in that space,” he said about new looks and his department store line.
