We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Whitney Hawkins. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Whitney below.
Whitney, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?
Then came the early days of the pandemic. It was a time when everyone needed to laugh and I was diving headfirst into Photoshop (after initially using it to experiment with logo design for a real-estate firm). That’s when the t-shirt I’d seen months before popped into my head. Using that memory as a jumping off point, I went to work on my own design. In my piece, I replaced Biggie Smalls with a picture of my dog, a Maltipom named Chevy.
Pets are beacons of love. They’re so intuitive and bring such a lightness to life. They have no societal standards, don’t care what you look like or what you do for a living.
That spontaneous impulse to center the design around my beloved pet resulted in a final product that’s bright and optimistic. It made me laugh, others, too, and that’s amazing, so I kept playing around with designs that link pets with life’s other pleasures. After posting several pieces to my What’s the Kitsch Instagram account, friends, followers, influencers, and celebrities placed custom print orders. Now, in addition to custom work, What’s the Kitsch pet portraits are featured on a successful line of merchandise sold nationwide.
The first person that wanted to buy one of my prints was a follower of my What’s the Kitsch Instagram page. What’s The Kitsch pet portraits stand out on the saturated platform because they are a riot of vivid colors, clashing patterns, and lavish ornamentation that epitomize radical maximalism, a trend that is smoldering-hot right now.
Each commissioned print is extremely personal and includes special details unique to the client. Images of the places they’ve been, their hobbies, and the foods they love, are just a few examples of the individualized elements included in these vibrant designs.
The raw, jubilant look of What’s the Kitsch is a reflection of my energetic nature combined with the freedom that comes with being entirely self-taught. Unrestricted by tired conventions, I am driven by my client’s reactions – seeing them laugh or cry. I’m making an item that will retain its value and remain meaningful to them. I’m proud of that.
I also take great care to ensure these prints work well in your home. The first print I sold was of a lab named Nahla decked out as a showgirl emerging from a martini glass. To ensure the large 20”x 20” piece complemented the client’s décor, I gave her two designs to choose from; one with a pink background and the other with a blue one. To my surprise (and delight!) she said each brought something different to the space and purchased them both!
As much fun as I have with custom prints, adding designer merchandise to my product line has been a game changer for the business. Expanding onto shirts, sweatshirts, jackets, scarves, sneakers, doggie clothing, pens, stickers, drink coasters and koozies creates a larger market for my designs. I cater to tourists visiting the Saratoga Springs and Lake George regions of New York with images depicting equestrian and lake life. I also create labels for the upstate-based Northway Brewing Co., which specializes in craft beers.3. What’s a lesson you had to unlearn & what’s the backstory?Born in Boston, the child of an Australian immigrant, I had the added challenge of growing up with ADD. I was embarrassed by the diagnosis and felt like it was something I needed to keep secret (which created a lot of anxiety and resulting depression).
I had a tough time in school, and went to four different colleges. Next, I floated around, working retail and real estate, feeling under-stimulated. I am a whirlwind of energy, willful, and a great problem-solver which I learned is the perfect combination for creating your own business.
Once I embraced excess in my life and my work (instead of hiding and avoiding my true nature) I found success. Being an entrepreneur is so fulfilling. Creating and selling for What’s the Kitsch also allows me to hop across the country; traveling between New York, Florida, Dallas, and Colorado, where I’ve forged lasting friendships that I cherish.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I am Whitney Hawkins and I make custom pop art pet prints. I turn your pet into completely custom art. The idea came to me when I was shopping at Hailee Grace Boutique in Denver, Colorado, I saw The Notorious B.I.G., a.k.a. Biggie Smalls, graphic t-shirt that changed my life.
Designed in the pop art color-block style Andy Warhol made famous, an image of the rapper wearing a crown cocked to the side appeared in the center of four colorful squares. The depiction was fun, confident, and visually satisfying.
Then came the early days of the pandemic. It was a time when everyone needed to laugh and I was diving headfirst into Photoshop (after initially using it to experiment with logo design for a real-estate firm). That’s when the t-shirt I’d seen months before popped into my head. Using that memory as a jumping off point, I went to work on my own design. In my piece, I replaced Biggie Smalls with a picture of my dog, a Maltipom named Chevy.
Pets are beacons of love. They’re so intuitive and bring such a lightness to life. They have no societal standards, don’t care what you look like or what you do for a living.
That spontaneous impulse to center the design around my beloved pet resulted in a final product that’s bright and optimistic. It made me laugh, others, too, and that’s amazing, so I kept playing around with designs that link pets with life’s other pleasures. After posting several pieces to my What’s the Kitsch Instagram account, friends, followers, influencers, and celebrities placed custom print orders. Now, in addition to custom work, What’s the Kitsch pet portraits are featured on a successful line of merchandise sold nationwide.
We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
Born in Boston, the child of an Australian immigrant, I had the added challenge of growing up with ADD. I was embarrassed by the diagnosis and felt like it was something I needed to keep secret (which created a lot of anxiety and resulting depression). I had a tough time in school, and went to four different colleges. Next, I floated around, working retail and real estate, feeling under-stimulated. I am a whirlwind of energy, willful, and a great problem-solver which I learned is the perfect combination for creating your own business.
Once I embraced excess in my life and my work (instead of hiding and avoiding my true nature) I found success. Being an entrepreneur is so fulfilling. Creating and selling for What’s the Kitsch also allows me to hop across the country; traveling between New York, Florida, Dallas, and Colorado, where I’ve forged lasting friendships that I cherish.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
After I started gaining some sales traction, I had the incredible opportunity to design original portraits for celebrities including comedian Heather McMahan, TV personality Carson Kressley, singer Chris Young, and others.
Remarkably, while extraordinary opportunities, the most creatively challenging commission came with a client’s request for a simple, original portrait completed using only neutrals and Casamigos teal. Because I had become accustomed to working with a color-drenched palette, I found scaling back extraordinarily demanding.
Always eager to please, I adhered to the client’s requests and discovered that stretching out of my comfort zone allowed me to experience the axiom of less is more. It’s amazing how effective a minimalist approach can be – even in maximalist designs!
Facing this hurdle head-on reaffirmed my ability to collaborate effectively with my clients and resulted in a piece that she loves filled with yummy images of grilled cheese and garlic bread existing alongside a boat and wildflowers. Not only was the client completely satisfied, the print ended up becoming my number one best-seller!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.whatsthekitsch.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/whatsthekitsch
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/whatsthekitsch
Image Credits
photo @morgancampbellphoto