Rosie Huntington-Whiteley has noticed a shift in her style since she entered her thirties and became a mother. The businesswoman doesn’t have the sort of time she once devoted to getting ready. Nor does she have any inclination towards frivolous pieces that don’t work hard for her. The words “investment” and “streamlined” crop up numerous times during our conversation, with a sprinkling of “minimals” and “muteds” thrown in for good measure. This is a woman who knows what works for her – and, crucially, what works for other women who wear, as she puts it, “many hats”.
Huntington-Whiteley’s collaboration with the luxury Florentine accessories brand Giaborghini exemplifies the practical-chic style she has honed. Now in its third season, the model-turned-designer has found her rhythm and launched two new categories: sunglasses and carry-alls, encompassing both handbags and tech accessories. If you thought you’d never see Rosie park her beloved Jodie for a belt bag and AirPods holder, think again. Most days, she says, you’ll find her with her keys suspended from a lanyard and her iPhone, card and a lipstick in her grasp.
“I mean, there was a period in my life when I would literally take everything but the kitchen sink out with me,” she says, giggling. “Now I want the bare minimum; I like the feeling of being on-the-go and agile.” Rosie’s favourite new-season piece is the boxy wooden clutch in travertine, a luxe, marbly material that calls to mind the interiors of her LA home, with a gold chain strap that can be wrapped around the wrist to double up as jewellery. It delighted the kids at a recent dinner which, at this point in Rosie’s life, is more important than any influencer’s seal of approval.
Instagram content
This content can also be viewed on the site it originates from.
Her refreshingly down-to-earth attitude is echoed elsewhere when we talk. Her style icons, for example, are “regular girlfriends”. “What’s really fun about having this line is seeing how other people interpret the product – you end up wanting it,” she shares of immediately ordering the nude Pebble sandals after seeing her mate post them. Okay, one of said girlfriends may be Christine Centenera, but Huntington-Whitely has been following her Wardrobe.NYC brand since day one. The members of Rosie’s inner fashion circle have two things in common: “They have a clear sense of a personal style, and they can still surprise you.”
She’s clearly been taking notes. The spring/summer 2022 GIA X RHW line features more directional pieces than one might immediately associate with the wardrobe of a fashion plate dedicated to neutrals. Barbara Borghini, who founded GIA in 2016 and has also collaborated with Pernille Teisbaek, is the driving force behind the edgier pieces in the collection, and frequently pushes Rosie to experiment with pops of colour. As long as the ideas tick the modern-functional box, they pass the RHW test.
Instagram content
This content can also be viewed on the site it originates from.
Quality was the other non-negotiable. “Obviously, I have quite a collection of accessories,” says Huntington-Whiteley of ensuring her pieces are on a level with the big-name brands lining her wardrobe. Rather than positioning her work next to current collections (she admits she doesn’t have her finger glued to the trend pulse like she used to), Rosie’s function-first, design-second pieces channel the clean, linear aesthetic of the ’90s. “The collection really leans into the quality, fit and finish, rather than having a bit too much detail,” asserts Rosie, who approaches getting dressed by thinking about the landscape of her day, rather than a particular item of clothing first. Unless, she says conspiratorially, she’s made a new purchase, of course.
Instagram content
This content can also be viewed on the site it originates from.
The goal for this busy mother-of-two, who never compromises on style despite juggling different roles, is to be able to open her wardrobe and “pull out pieces that are timeless and have an iconic feel to them”. RHW X GIA spring/summer 2022 sees her really come into her own.
Shop the collection now at Giaborghini.it
