For those of you who follow Volcomunity and or follow Natalie’s own personal blog ‘Natalieoffduty‘ you probably feel like you know Natalie quite well. Her amazing style and sense of fashion has naturally led to a design collaboration with Volcom. Natalie’s first Volcomunity Collective Series collaboration will be out next Fall (landing in stores in June 2012). Stay tuned as we see more from behind her collaboration photo-shoot and updates on the collection. We took some time to catch up with Natalie and find out more about her upcoming pieces….

How did you get involved with the Volcomunity? What does the Volcomunity mean to you?
When I heard about the idea of Volcomunity, I loved it. The idea of having a few different girls with different voices and personalities in one blog is fantastic. Each girl inspires me in their own different way b/c they are all very creative, strong, and totally fun girls. To be given the opportunity to be a part of it and share bits and pieces of my life on the Volcomunity site is awesome. I love being the face for Volcom Girls, but to also be a voice for Volcom is even better. It means a lot to me that Volcom has given me so much creative freedom with everything we’ve collaborated on.

When did you start the design process with Volcom?
I started the design process with Volcom earlier this year. Just as I heard that Volcom wanted to collaborate for Fall of ‘12, I immediately began gathering inspiration from magazines, blogs, and the streets to get me started for the line. From there, I brought them to my meeting at Volcom with the design team to discuss sketches, fabrics, and colors.

Who is the designer your working with from the Volcom design team?
I am working with Grace Lee one of the head designers at Volcom for my collection. We both have similar styles, but also we’re still very different, so our collaboration was a great fit. I love her!

What was the collaboration like between you and the designer?
Grace has an incredible eye. We both have a love for edgy, yet beautiful pieces, so the collection turned out being a great mix of beauty with an edgy. It’s tough, but also approachable and very very wearable. That is exactly what we were aiming for.

What was the process like of developing your pieces?
Well, we began with gathering a bunch of inspiration and meeting up to discuss what possible dresses, skirts, vests, and tops we could come up with. For fall we were leaning towards a nerdy, yet grungy, but still classic look. From there, we reviewed the sketches and became concrete on 6 really awesome pieces. We eventually got in our samples, and so I flew out to LA to fit them onto the fit model. With Grace, we tweaked the little details last minute, before going into production. Also, we worked on a lot of different textures. We worked with soft textures for the blouses and skirts, then with tougher fabrics like the vegan leather for a few standout pieces as well.

What is your inspiration for your collection?
For my pieces, I was very much inspired by the very cool, strong girl that’s independent, creative, and intelligent. She’s always on the go. She wants pieces that she can grab early in the morning, that can be thrown together effortlessly and still look totally chic and cool by the end of the day. She’s a bit nerdy, but has an edge, and loves very few cool pieces that can be mixed and matched. Everything is still classic and can be worn in so many different ways.

In 1 sentence describe your collection…
My collection is something that can be worn daily, and all the time, and is for the girl on the go, who is edgy but beautiful in her own way.

Will your collection carry into Holiday 2012?
Yes it will carry in to Holiday ‘12 and I’m so excited!

What can we expect to see different in your Holiday 2012 collection?
Moving into Holiday is always an excitement for I can play with pieces that are easy to layer. We’ve already begun working on cozy, nubby knits and beautiful dresses in unique shapes and cuts. I’m looking to create pieces that can be worn during a cold winter’s day and also working on pieces for the girl who is the life of the holiday parties. There of course will be hints of sparkle!

If you had to pick 1 favorite piece from the collection what is it?
For fall ‘12, I’m definitely in love with the slim high waisted faux leather skirt. The material is just fantastic, and it is one of those leather skirts that actually allows you to move freely and feel comfortable. Volcom and I totally nailed that piece. I’m obsessed.

How will you show your style and personality through your collection photo shoot?
We will be shooting in my new home of NYC. We’re definitely looking to use the strong energy and vibe of NYC in the shoot. I want to show the part of me that’s the tough and edgy city girl, but of course I want everything to still feel classic and natural, because that’s how I’ve always dressed. I wear what feels right, but always add in a few touches of something quirky and unusual. That’s very much my personality!

Thank you Natalie for your time… we can’t wait to see the full collection!