Five Questions for Whitley Kros Designer Sophia Coloma
 Frazer Harrison/Getty |
Whitley Kros is a fictional character brought to life through the clothing line of the same name by LA designers Sophia Coloma and Marissa Ribisi (who has two kids with husband Beck Hansen). The line is a hit with celebrities like Kate Hudson, Courteney Cox-Arquette, Jenna Elfman, Juliette Lewis, Rachel McAdams, Selena Gomez and Blake Lively and has been featured in PEOPLE, InStyle, Vogue, Glamour, Lucky, Elle and many more.
This month, Sophia is bringing a new character to life with the birth of her first child, a daughter she and husband actor/musician Marcus Coloma plan to name Coco. We chatted with Sophia about her pregnancy, her maternity style and what a killer combination being a fashion designer and having a daughter will be!
 Frazer Harrison/Getty: Marissa Ribisi, Cosimo Hansen and Sophia Coloma |
Danielle: How has your pregnancy been? Did you have morning sickness?
Sophia: My pregnancy has been pretty good. In the beginning I had a lot of nausea which was not so fun – and I had to eat a lot of carbs so I stacked on the pounds a lot in the beginning.
I found out I was pregnant just a few days before I went on a design trip to Tokyo. When I arrived, we were staying at the Hyatt and they had an earthquake in the north of Japan. We were in the hotel and it started swaying, we ran down fifteen flights of stairs to the hotel lobby where no one seemed to be bothered at all. The really hard thing was the hotel, which was built on rollers to stop earthquake damage, swayed for the next week — not fun for morning sickness.
After the first three months, the middle is bliss, you look cute as you have a bump and people can tell you’re pregnant and not just stacking on pounds. The last few weeks are a very interesting time, you are definitely ready for the baby, you know any day now your life is going to change. And every sensation I keep thinking, “Is this it?”
What designers did you wear during your pregnancy? Did you wear maternity or did you work around non-maternity? What Whitley Kros pieces were your favorites during your pregnancy? Any tips for making non-maternity work for a pregnancy?
I really had an idea of all the things I would wear during the pregnancy. I imagined all these loose tops I had. This worked during the first few months. I wore my designs [Whitley Kros], a lot of loose clothes from APC, kaftans I had bought in Australia, long dresses from Young, Fabulous & Broke. I had also bought online at shopbop. But by month five the non-maternity stuff was not working, so I bought Paige Maternity jeans, some cute tops and dresses from A Pea in the Pod, and also from Diane von Furstenberg.
My favorite Whitley Kros piece for maternity is the Raleigh Cardigan. It’s a loose cardigan and all my friends with babies use it for breastfeeding. I also wore my Whitley Kros tees and am still wearing them now with leggings from American Apparel.
I find dresses really work well for the last few months. I had been wearing my normal Lanvin flats right up until Christmas. Then I was in Barneys and my ankles were just getting huge and I realized I was going to give them up. I spent the whole day trying to find something cute. I am a size 10 and even 11 would not fit. I finally realized that I was going to have to give up the fashionable shoes and go for something practical. I found the coolest version of Birkenstocks I could find.
Do you think you’ll add maternity and/or a children’s collection now that you’re going to be a mom?
I love baby clothes – being a designer and having a little girl is a bit of a killer combination. Coco’s wardrobe is already huge – I think my husband is scared. The next thing we will add to Whitley Kros is a men’s line and then kids after that… but in a while. Whitley Kros is a character we created who is a free-spirited traveler. I don’t think she will be settling down any time soon, but maybe she can have a niece. Marissa and I have also talked about doing a line of kids’ clothes under another name.
Tell us about baby Coco’s nursery. What does it look like?
The moment I realized I was pregnant I kept thinking this baby needs a French-style room. I had designer Mariah O’Brien help do the nursery. We used a Designer Guild wallpaper and matching fabric from a French designer that is soft pink, white and gold. It has a very Versailles-palace feel with a modern twist.
Her crib is white and her bedding is custom pink and white – all from Petit Tresor. Her bathroom is black-and-white wallpaper and tiling – very Chanel, classic French – with a white, claw-foot tub.
Being a designer, the thing I love most is her wardrobe. I love Twelfth Street by Cynthia Vincent – I think I bought everything they have. I also love Bonpoint and Marie Chantal. I have made everything into little outfits – little baby shoes are the cutest thing in the world.
My husband [Marcus Coloma], as well as being an actor, is a musician, and he bought her a baby pink grand piano, which now sits in the corner of her room. I think she will love it.
Did Marissa throw you a shower? What fashion and gear items are you looking forward to using most?
Kirstie Alley will be Coco’s godmother and she threw the shower. It was a ball… everything was very French and cute. I think people like buying little girls’ clothes, as that is mostly what she got. I cannot wait to put her in Cynthia Vincent dresses, with all these amazing tights I bought her. My friend Marisol Nichols just had a girl and we have both bought a million of these dresses. Also, I have the most amazing Bonpoint outfits – my father bought them for me… Coco is his first grandchild. Marie Chantal — they just opened a kids’ store in Beverly Hills — I love their stuff. I love really traditional French and English style clothes.
I cannot wait to use the Bugaboo stroller (it looks amazing and I am about to buy mine), the Baby Bjorn bouncer (my friends swear by it) and the Little Giraffe Blankets (they are so soft I want them for me as well).
Oh and I do love my Stella McCartney diaper bag and my husband’s Storksak bag!
– Danielle
