Lela Rose, a mother of two, is increasingly thinking about the multi-generational appeal of her designs. With a well-established clientele of gala-goers and best-dressed wedding guests who have closets full of her floral gowns and signature Parker skirts, figuring out ways to entice their daughters—and granddaughters—is making Rose tick.
Case in point: at the designer’s Midtown Manhattan showroom, her in-house marketing director was inadvertently modeling a soft wool jacket from a recent season. With a contoured waist and flared hem, it’s the kind of effortless piece that really jazzes up a pair of black work trousers on a frigid Monday morning.
The brand’s offering of outerwear across price points is expanding, with options that are sophisticated and polished, but not too precious to be saved for special occasions only. As the designer phrased it, it’s about thinking “what would she wear to the grocery store?” There are even ultra-buttery Lela-ified leather jackets in ebony and oxblood, with zero visible hardware or unnecessary bells and whistles.
Rose might be synonymous—both by name and by wares—with flowers, but it turns out that she is just as enthralled by birds. An image of a kestrel found at her dad’s ranch in Texas formed the jumping off point for polka-dots seen throughout the collection and on a cocktail sheath that bore the outline of a blurry bird. Nods to her Texan roots, and adopted home of Jackson Hole, were also peppered throughout, although Rose is loath to be too literal with her references to Westernwear. Instead, the spirit was evident in the beaded tassels on a cocktail pant, how a silk blouse had a built-in draped neckerchief, or through fringe-trimmed denim interwoven with a multi-color print.
Of course, feeling stellar in a dress is a great equalizer among every generation in a family, and there was no shortage of standout frocks—from those with interior corsetry to slinky jerseys ruched with ornate jewelry-style embellishment on the waist. Perhaps not destined for a supermarket run, but they would turn heads in the checkout line.
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