When it comes to fashion, New York City-based designer Lela Rose is known for her elegant and feminine aesthetic and fresh point of view. Born and bred in Texas, her Southern roots provide the groundwork for the refined, sophisticated collections we see each season, while her artistic background as a formally trained sculptor and painter is clear in the flattering silhouettes she creates. Her designs can be seen around the world – from ready to wear to bridal.
After a meet-cute on a plane during a Marie Claire event, Rondel founder Lindsey Boyd and Lela instantly clicked, finding countless connections and common grounds – from fashion to entertaining to entrepreneurship. Read on for a little Table Talk with Lela Rose.
My first experience with design was…
My mother introduced me to many forms of design from an early age.
The people seated at my rond table are…
My husband, Brandon, and kids Grey, 19, and Rosey, 14, are my favorite people to be with – endless laughs (and some fights and tears!). We have lots of family friends in NYC and love to entertain all ages. Our table is generally filled with fun food and interesting conversation.
My line is inspired by…
I love to design for a woman with a calendar filled with events, be it everyday events or larger ones. I love color, pattern, texture mixed with whimsy.
I branched out into bridal because…
I’ve always designed for a woman with an entertaining lifestyle, and there is no bigger event than your wedding.
A bridal look isn’t complete without…
I know this sounds silly...but a smile. A smile can make anything gorgeous!
My favorite music to listen to when I design is…
Whatever the design team has playing. I usually listen to old country, but they can’t bear it 😍
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One way I’ve had to pivot my business in current times is…
We’ve had to pivot by becoming more virtual when needed. All of our sales appointments to date have been virtual, so we’ve had to learn how to show the movement and feel of the fabric in a different way. It’s a brand-new world!!
The last thing I sketched was…
An idea on a napkin that I wanted to show the design team. I come up with ideas often and just pick up anything around me to sketch them out.
My Southern Belle comes out with…
Tequila! Or at least my southern twang comes out...
A fun quarantine activity we’ve been doing is…
Pickleball and learning the Texas wildflowers...we spent the majority of quarantine at our family ranch in Texas...
Something about me you may not know is…
I bike everywhere I go in NYC – rain or shine, winter or summer. My bike is like my car, and I can’t leave home without it.
My mantra is…
Be nice, be nice, be nice!
A family pass-down I cherish the most is…
The string gift. At Christmas, the last gift under the tree would be a box attached to a string. I would have to wind it around and around to finally find the gift. We do that with my kids, as well, and they eagerly anticipate it every year (even at their age!)
My story, my style in a word…
Perseverance.
The Rondel pieces that speak to me…
The charms!!
Lela's Yard Sale Look
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