It’s safe to say this creative force is the color queen of The Big Apple. Known for her bold sense of style and candy-colored content, Courtney started her blog, Color Me Courtney, as a way to get her foot in the door of the fashion industry. Now, with over 750k followers on Instagram alone, Courtney is inspiring women everywhere to “dress outside the lines.” 

As a part of Rent the Runway’s exclusive tastemaker line, which partners with the industry’s leading style stars on exclusive collections, we teamed up with Courtney last summer for a 16-piece capsule complete with bold patterns, quirky prints and vibrant colors. This summer, she’s back at it again with her signature style.

We caught up with Courtney to learn more about the launch, which hue is her absolute favorite, and the must-rent styles she can’t go without.

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To start, tell us a little about yourself. How did you start your blog, Color Me Courtney?

Hi, I’m Courtney Quinn, a NYC-based blogger obsessed with all things color! I grew up in Arizona in a very beige suburb before moving to San Francisco to get my MBA. After graduation, I relocated to New York to work in the fashion industry. I started working various retail jobs and decided to start a blog, Color Me Courtney, as a resume booster/side hustle.  Eventually, my blog landed me my dream job–making handbags as a product developer at Coach. 

Color Me Courtney continued to grow over the years, so much so that I found myself working two full-time jobs. I ultimately decided to quit my corporate job to focus on my blog, and I haven’t looked back since!

A lot of my job is sharing colorful clothes and positive inspiration with women online. I love connecting with my followers on my blog, Youtube, Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest and Twitter. I wear a ton of different hats–I consider myself the Color Me Courtney intern, photographer, editor, creative director and everything in between.

Tell us about your collection. What inspired it and why are you so excited to be collaborating with Rent the Runway?

The driving force behind my collection (and probably anything that I will ever do) is color and happiness. I’m a firm believer that wearing a colorful outfit can really change your mood and the mood of those around you. 

When I decided to collaborate with Rent the Runway, I knew that it had to be a vibrant collection. Although you can find a fair bit of colorful pieces in the marketplace, it’s much harder to find colorful prints. The goal was to create a lot of really fun, happy styles that could be worn year after year.

How would you describe your collection in five words or less?

Colorful, comfortable and vibrant with a cottagecore twist.

Browse the entire collection on Rent the Runway

Tell us about the design process. What went into creating your collections from start to finish?

We started the design process by going through my closet and pulling out my favorite pieces. Not because we wanted to recreate them, but because we wanted to understand why they were my favorites. Was it the pattern? Was it the color? Was it the memory associated with it? What made me love those pieces? We also looked at some of my top selling styles from my Instagram because we wanted to know what my followers liked. From there, the collection really came to life! 

Now, let’s talk about you. How would you describe your personal style? Have you always loved color? 

Oh yes, ever since I was a kid I’ve always loved color. I was obsessed with orange growing up and I’ve always been drawn to warmer colors. You’ll see a fair bit of warm tones in my collection. 

Does your style evolve with your mood, season, time of day, etc.?

Regardless of my mood, I always tend to wear color. Even when I go through a rough time, I don’t wear black because that’s just not me. I think if anything, when things are sad, what better way to cheer yourself up than by putting on a bright, fun outfit? However, I do switch things up depending on the season. I like to go from lighter tones, maybe like a pastel version of a color in the spring, to a more vibrant version in the summer. 

Are there any colors you’d never wear?

I don’t wear brown much–I have a brown belt, maybe a pair of boots that have some brown in them–but that’s really it!  I don’t think I ever wear gray at all either. Overall, I just don’t wear neutrals because why would I wear neutrals when I could wear a rainbow? 

We know you love them all, but do you have a must-rent piece?

Last summer I lived in the cutie maxi dress, I expect I’ll do the same in this year’s spotted version!

Summer is around the corner. What are you most excited for?

Sundresses, ice cream and spending time outdoors!

See how Courtney styles pieces from her collection on our Instagram.