Is John Whitledge's hair darker? "I guess I wouldn't be surprised if my hair was less blond than it used to be," mused the designer at last night's party celebrating the opening of his Trovata pop-up shop. "I've been working, working, working. Lots of time focusing on next season, not so much time in the sun," he explained. Although Trovata's Fall collection will only be shown by appointment this coming fashion week, fruits of Whitledge's labors are, in the meantime, on display in the back room of the Earnest Sewn store in the Meatpacking District. Given free reign to "Trovata-ize" the space, Whitledge has interspersed highlight pieces from previous Trovata seasons with a curated selection of vintage books and magazines. (Few attendees could resist a coy peek at the antique issues of "Playboy," circa its pert-bosomed, girl-next-door phase.) And in a nod to Whitledge's Newport Beach roots, the Trovata pop-up shop also sells a few surf DVDs, discussion of which seemed to make Whitledge yearn for his board. "Lucky me, I got to spend New Year's surfing in Brazil," he noted, as some mussed hair fell over his eyes. Whitledge grabbed a stray lock and gave it a wary stare. "I don't know," he said finally, shaking the hair back into place. "Maybe it's just the lights."