The Haute Report: Interview with Lela Rose

It wasn't long ago that I interviewed the beautiful designer, Lela Rose at the Children's Assessment Center 16th Annual Spirit and Spring Luncheon & Fashion Show.

I met her in the lobby of Royal Sonesta Hotel (Houston Galleria) at the Neiman Marcus pop-up shop before the show - which were all Lela Rose designs by the way - to get the scoop on her new collection and how she does, what she does.

Glowing in an all white dress (Lela Rose design, of course) standing next to one of her girls (LOL!), the fun begins...

Familiar with her designs and darling dresses, I'm anxious and nervous at the same time

(I'm always nervous when I interview... shrugs).

After gushing over her "Spring/Summer - ready" ensemble, I pop the question -

"So, tell me, what's new with the collection?"

LR: The collection is very fun. A lot of mixtures of floral and graphics - which is something I think we do a lot of. But, there's also big polka dots mixed with these wonderful hand works of florals. And, it's just a very fun collection in the terms of using Kimono inspiration and the way they use hand cut florals and hand cut woods to make these patterns but also the use of graphics along with it.

GB: Nice! Now, when you're designing, is it ever, "what would I like to see myself in?"

LR: I'm very much the customer for the collection. My lifestyle is also very much the customer. I need pieces that can take me from day to dinner, day to evening and just get me through. Look great and feel great. I work all day but I also have luncheons or I have to be somewhere immediately far, where I'm hosting 20 people at dinner, therefore, I constantly need clothes that are comfortable to eat, easy to wear, easy to get around but then I look great from all during the day and can change up shoes, put on different jewelry and have the same great piece for dinner.

GB: Love! The dresses... The dresses... Beautiful!

That's exactly what stands out to me because what girl doesn't love lots of dresses?

(Well, when I'm not being a tomboy. HA!)

LR: Yes, I'm a dress person, too!

GB: Yes, and I can really see that through your collection - which I really, really adore. For Spring, I see there's lot of whites and a lot of colors that fall into the Spring trend - not necessarily a trend, but you know, this year a lot of people are looking to wear more softer colors, more whites and pastels.

LR: I think white has definitely been a big trend of the season for Spring. We're always a very colorful collection and a very pretty collection - because that's what I like. I've never worn black as my go-to anything. I hardly wear any black. I've always worn color and whites and ivory. It's just an extension of what we do. Great colors. A lot of fun. The Blues and ivory - I love that palette. I love those pieces!

GB: Where did it start? Have you always been into designing clothing all your life or was it something that came about later?

LR: I started as a young child. I was a sculpture and painting major in college. But I was always creative and liked making things and for me, it's always been about a love of fabrics. We design textiles and all of our prints. A lot of our jacquards and wovens are pieces that we design off the mills - and that has truly been the most part of Fashion for me.

GB: How does it feel when you see the collection come alive, as you imagined it and people are in absolute love?

LR: Always so much fun! Seeing it on the runway is fun but to really see customers wearing it, making them smile, making them feel good, is what makes me the happiest. I feel like my job is to really give people pieces that they can look and feel really great in - but it starts with feeling great. When you like what you're wearing, you just greet the day in a completely different way then when you're in head-to-toe black like, "oh, I just want to blend in". I don't feel you do that much without clothes. It's not about blending in as much...

GB: Right?! And you just glow when you put it on and feel great about it.

LR: Yes! You're having fun when you're wearing them and you feel good in them - that's what I really enjoy seeing.

GB: What can we expect in the near future? What's next?

LR: We have a lot of things coming up. We're just about to launch clutches that'll be in stores 09.15. We are doing an E-commerce site. I've got a book coming out at the end of September - that's really showing you, how to dress yourself and dress your table. It's like a whole entertaining manifest in the back. How you take one idea, much like doing the clutch.

You take one idea as your focal point, what you're wearing, what you're serving, how you've done your table, every single thing that you do.

GB: You're a very busy, busy, young Lady.

LR: Yes, a lot going on (laughs)...

Watching Lela go from interview to interview before the Luncheon/Fashion Show begins

GB: How do you keep all of it together? Between designing, luncheons, writing a book and all the creative ideas you come up with...

LR: I have a great, unbelievable team of people which I'm very lucky to have. I love doing all these things. It's really fun for me. It's very me and who I am - so I think it's just kind of comes. The hard work doesn't seem so hard.

GB: With you being your #1 customer, do you ever wear anything outside of your collection?

LR: I don't wear anything else, (chuckles) other than maybe jeans. We don't do jeans, therefore, I wear those on the weekends. I wear Lela Rose all the time (chuckles). My daughter wears Lela Rose. She's 8 years old and I make her pieces. I make us like little matching outfits sometimes - which is completely dorky but so cute!

GB: That's awesome! So, are there any plans to design children's clothing?

LR: I don't think so, at least not now. I mean, we're definitely starting to do some table tops - in which we're selling in our flagship store in Dallas, TX.

Quite a few projects taking place.

GB: Nice! Nice! I absolutely LOVE the dress that you're wearing. It's Spring-ish, it's sleek and cool. Especially, if you're traveling or living in places where it's extremely hot! Like Houston or Dallas.

LR: It's so lovely out today.

GB: Indeed it is.

I begin to talk about her collection displayed in Neiman Marcus's pop-up show at the luncheon - where she had the chicest dresses, skirts, and tops.

I get up to take a closer look at a few of her pieces that did more than just catch my eye. An all white eyelet skirt and top and a beautiful blue floral dress (not shown in any pics here... (*shrugs*)

Lela then shows me a dress that I wasn't ready for - a reversible dress that can be worn on either side with just a flip of the zipper. Two for one! This may be my first reversible dress.

Thanks a bunch Lela for the interview! I <3 you!!!

You know I couldn't leave before the show...

And guess who was invited to sit at the same table with the featured designer Lela Rose as we watch her gorgeous designs come down the runway?

That's right! Goldan Blue!!!!

Up Close and Personal, let's take a look at my view...