20 in their 20s – Whitney Port

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20 in their 20s – Whitney Port
Whitney Port

From running nail salons to a bakery to a law firm, these young entrepreneurs got an early start in making their way in the business world.

Whitney Port, 26

Whitney Eve, Los Angeles, a clothing company

Employees: Her father, Jeff Port, and brother, Ryan.

Financials: Profitable.

When Whitney Port launched her clothing line, Whitney Eve, she had more to worry about than the average designer. That’s because her first day of business was broadcast to millions on the MTV show “The City,” a two-season spinoff of “The Hills” that centered on her adventures as a budding entrepreneur.

But the television show, set in New York, was also the perfect platform to launch the business. It gave her clothing line instant name recognition and exposed it to girls in the MTV demographic. Port also used her income from the show as startup capital.

“It was scary, because I was unsure of the success of the operation,” she said. “But it was empowering because I could invest in the company myself.”

After the show was cancelled, Port moved her business from New York to L.A.’s Fashion District. She rejoined her brother and father, who had participated in the venture long distance.

Port, who had gained some measure of fame for her role as one of the more reserved and intelligent characters on “The Hills,” always knew she wanted to pursue a career in fashion. But it wasn’t until she assisted famous designers like Diane Von Furstenberg, and dabbled in editorial and PR jobs that she realized she wanted to launch her own line. That was in 2008.

“As surreal as it is, I have those experiences under my belt,” she said. “At this point, I feel like I only ever want to be my own boss and have full creative and business control.”

She recently designed a fall 2011 line for Swedish fashion company Bikbok and is now working on her Whitney Eve collection for spring 2012.

Port, whose college major was gender studies rather than business or fashion design, has been learning the industry on the fly. One of her lessons was to design what sells.

“I like to push the boundaries. At the beginning I thought people wanted that,” she said. “Now I realize the more basic the product, the more people can accept it. But I still make the pieces that I believe in the most.”

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