Eva Longoria makes New York Fashion Week debut with designs that keep ‘boss lady’ in mind

Actress, director, producer and now designer Eva Longoria made her New York Fashion Week debut Wednesday, with a collection created with the evolution of her film career in mind.

“I was super nervous, I was shaking,” said Longoria, 42, of her mood before the first runway show for her eponymous collection that she presented at the Metropolitan West on 46th Street. “Now, I’m like ahhhhh, and a little calmer because of how great it was,” she said afterward. “I wanted it to feel like a big party and be accessible to every woman and to have everybody come up (after the show) and say ‘I would buy every piece’ feels so good.”

The show opened with a section called #SETLIFE, tailored, sweatsuit outfits with little variations on the standard theme such as off-the-shoulder numbers and beaded silver trim racing stripes.

“That was born of my life on set as I moved behind the camera as a director and producer,” said the actress whose directing and producing credits include “Devious Maids,” an episode of ABC comedy, “Black-ish” and several documentaries. “I wanted to be a boss lady but still look good. I was no longer in hair and makeup in front of the camera and I was like, ‘I feel sloppy.’ So, I started designing a more elevated sweatsuit that was not so junior. I’m not a junior in high school.”

The latter part of Longoria’s run included a printed jumpsuit; high-waisted jeans paired with embroidered white blouses and a sky blue to-the-knee dress with a crisscross back detail.

And while she’s been fashion-focused, Longoria, who was born in Corpus Christi, Texas, also has kept watch on the devastation caused by Hurricane Harvey.

“For the first three days (after Harvey,) we gave 100 percent of online profits to the Hurricane Harvey fund. We’re trying to make sure everybody is taken care of but you know being a Texan and being from my home state, Texans are a community that really rallies together,” she said.