Whit Inspiration Trip

“I had been dying to go to Bali for as long as I can remember,” designer Whitney Pozgay of WHIT told us. “The Balinese are deeply spiritual, performing daily rituals steeped in immense artistry.  Art making is so much a part of their way of life and the island is overflowing with inspiration. The island itself is breathtaking. My expectations were high, but Bali surpassed them. It is a magical place.”

Pozgay’s majestic journey began with a warm welcome by the “incredibly charming staff at the W Bali” (her words, we swear!) where she was swept away for an Indonesian feast at Fire. The following morning, she woke up early to catch the sun rise at a temple (when in Bali, right?) before heading back for a tour of grounds at the hotel. As for the rest of day? Let’s just say it involved a lot of necessary lounging poolside at the WET Deck to recover from the jet lag. Can’t blame her, right?

Thanks to her pal/photographer, Greg Vore, her fairytale travels was all documented and sent back to us like a “Wish You Were Here” kind of postcard. Between days trips to an Ikat Mill and rice field tours, Pozgay managed to take a short detour to admire the have-to-see-to-believe-it bamboo structures at the Green School. (Google that, stat.)

“The Balinese themselves were the highlight of our trip. We were somewhat surprised by their willingness to show us all about their culture. We were there during a holy festival and were lucky to witness rituals and ceremonies.”

The following day Pozgay co-hosted a design forum in W’s Extreme WOW Suite (yes, it totally lives up to it’s moniker) with some local Balinese designers and Indonesian press. “It was interesting to hear about the struggles and benefits of local production in Bali,” she told us. As for the prefect end to her night? Pozgay concluded with dinner at a charming Italian resto called, La Lucciola, on the beach. Got FOMO? Yeah, us too.

For her final day, Pozagay spent it the way any self-respecting tourist would: wandering the local shops and searching for treasured gems to take home. “My favorite finds were a set of batik boxes in bright colors and an elephant shaped Batik pillow.” She even managed to take in a dancing lesson at Potato Head, while  sampling a slew of traditional Balinese dishes.

But it wasn’t all fun and games. Pozgay’s inspiration trip to Bali certainly provided plenty of resources for her upcoming collection. “I start my process by choosing a color palette. That part was easy in Bali and I narrowed it down while I was there. I'm developing some special prints based on different aspects of Balinese life.” Guess you’ll just have to stay tuned… 

Images by Greg Vore