I know the nerves that these girls are
feeling right now I I am feeling those
nerves and then some I've never designed
a collection and you know also having
all these people here in 30 seconds to
run my show oh my God it's show time 3 2
1 I'm always on the go I wanted to have
a small kind of capsule of 10 or so
items that I can mix and match that you
know you can wear anywhere and that are
easy to pack I have an amazing stylist
named Carla Welsh and she has been
helping me think through kind of what we
want to create thinking about who we're
trying to design for this meeting is at
4:30 it's 4:34 I'm already late so let's
do it let's get it
started this is the Express headquarters
worldwide headquarters this is this
where all the magic all the
design we have been talking about all
the details leading up to this and now
we have all of the the fabrics and the
pieces will'll be able to touch and
feel and then this we were thinking like
for the bomber cuz it makes it feel so
intimate and personal the fact that
there's these little even if nobody else
sees it you see it and I love that
detail we started this collection with
her based on Carly's 10 must have have
essential items things that she uses
when she travels and things that she
thinks are really important items to
have within any girls wardrobe in my own
personal closet I'd rather have two
Maxis and do this kind of detail the
feature is in the back but then that
deepy is super sexy
yeah just wearing it I definitely like
the silk more you know I started out
with thinking what I want what's in my
wardrobe what are my staple pieces is
that when I'm on the road traveling out
of a carry-on suitcase for 2 weeks at a
time what are my musthaves if we had
that black and white star fabric you
could either show it or if you didn't
want to show it I also love it like that
there are classic pieces that you want
to have so we got we want the mix
versatile pieces that you can mix and
match versatile pieces that you can
dress either up or dress
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down so
it's game time the goal of this meeting
is to make the final tweaks and the
final
decisions that after we walk out of this
building all of the collection will be
able to go into production
and that's it so we have lots of work
ahead of us let's
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go this is the moment approve hi
guys oh my gosh to see it here in the
flesh now is like it's so rewarding it's
so exciting Carly's been in our Design
Studio over and over again so this is a
collection that truly you have put your
hand all over so for instance like even
the the little tags are
custom all that goes into choosing
should have this kind of tie or should
it just be crisscross and in every
detail and so to see it we were having
some mixed feelings about the execution
of it and the sort of volume potential
of it our view is when we looked at
everything that we're going to have we
just didn't feel like it was a necessary
component to the L you really do have to
be a certain height or certain body type
to to feel good in um a style like this
so as much as I do really kind of like
the idea of it you can't wear it every
day
so we really um we into the positive
message last time when we spoke so um
this could be clipped on the outside of
the sleeve and people could take that
off and put it like on their handbag or
whatever on their keychain yeah I'm
aware that all of America is not 6'2 and
so I wanted to create a collection that
would really flatter different body
types we have a wonderful fit model I'll
really be able to see the the shape and
the fabrics and how they move and how
they fit important next step to kind of
make any tweaks before we go into
production I kind of feel like a knot is
cooler a bow is a little girlly do you
think it should go higher Carla cuz I
really like where it sits now cuz I feel
like if it goes too high what you risk
too to be honest I always hate that like
that arm roll I would wear it higher cuz
I like that real
spor how do they feel they feel really
good okay good they're I feel like they
hit like a flattering spot where it's
like you can't say that this collection
is not like
truly from my
wardrobe now that all the final
decisions have been made there's no
turning back all the clothes are going
straight into production which is
actually pretty fun because now we get
to work on the other side of things how
people are going to see the collection
in stores online and what better place
to shoot in February than gorgeous sa
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Parts this is really personal it's not
just showing up at another shoot and you
know doing my job as a model but is is
actually like something that I take real
ownership in and real pride in it's all
coming coming together and I just am
very
excited the night before the shoot we
spent hours finalizing details putting
together the looks and deciding where to
shoot I'm so sleepy I think I slept 3
hours last night so I need my beauty
sleep tonight cuz we have a big day
tomorrow so
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B
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this is the big day I've been waiting to
shoot this collection for a long time
and we are shooting the campaign here in
St Barts over the next 2 days and we're
going to be all over this beautiful
island but it's going to be
amazing Express is where my sisters and
I shopped growing up Express is where
all my friends shop it's a place that
you go to get something on Trend or
something that a staple that you always
have knock and wood that all goes well
but I'm about to
drive other human beings in a car in St
Barts on these windy little roads that
are really
steep look where we are saing
Beach oh now I'm
to this is where all of the airplanes
land oh my God this is
[Applause]
crazy we almost died but we lived to
tell the tail get in come on let's
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go so we are now shooting in
town this color is really rich and
gorgeous and you have the details on the
side including Good Vibes only it's
reversible but I know we have a lot more
to do so got to go back to
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work this is one of my favorites it's a
blazer with this really cute lining that
appears again in the
dress the has a really effortless cool
adventurous way of telling a story
through imagery and I have to say he
really made the clothes come to
life that is a wrap kind of we have one
more shot we're going to do on the boat
on our way to ingua but it's been
action-packed and amazing I'm so proud
of this shoot and feel like it's going
to be a really really special campaign
to uh highlight a really special
collaboration so on that note
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arvo 2 months and about 10,000 phone
calls and emails later we were on our
way to my hometown St
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Louis this has been in the works for
over a year has it been that long it's
been over a year time is flying I know
and we're finally here in St Louis
Crossing all our te dotting our eyes
tickets
t-shirts
and this is it and this is really
exciting because this is the first time
that I'm seeing multiple of the pieces
like actually produced in different
sizes and with tags and with look with
my
tag so we're at the pageant and this
venue is really really special because
the last time I was here was almost 12
years ago when I first walked a runway
show in my life this collection was
inspired by and designed for Creative
empowered women and who better to walk
the runway wearing these designs
launching them to the world then
empowered creative women Clash chose 10
women she describes as innovators game
changers and go-getters to model the
clothing through an Instagram contest
with an invite to Come As You Are
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hello I'm getting
ready so we about to show you
this the book oh my God so the
flesh I love this it's so like real and
beautiful and you look
amazing we are about to head into hair
and makeup and I'm so excited it doesn't
even feel like this is real life and it
just got super real when we saw the
stage but crazy I have no words I was so
pumped there is a line around the block
of people who are here tonight to
celebrate this collection and I am so
excited I am feel like I'm dreaming this
is truly surreal 3 2
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1
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these incredible ladies who are on this
stage are so inspiring they are truly
living their best life and this has been
a new experience for me being on the
other side of the design table and it's
been an amazing experience I've learned
so much I love you guys thank you for
for making me feel
so thank
you love you Mom okay without further
Ado we have a very very special guest
Charlie
XX I could have never imagined all the
hard work decisions big and small that
have gone into creating this collection
this has given me a whole new
appreciation for the industry that I
thought I knew pretty
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well