Pamella Roland (Q3551)
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Pamella Roland is a fashion house from FMD.
| Language | Label | Description | Also known as |
|---|---|---|---|
| English | Pamella Roland |
Pamella Roland is a fashion house from FMD. |
Statements
Reviewing Pamella Roland’s collections over the years, I’ve always been elated to see the Real Housewives of New York City lavishing in the front-row limelight. Seared into my memory (and my Instagram) is a short video of Dorinda Medley in a body-skimming bedazzled shift dress—I assume by Roland—sitting on Countess Luann de Lesseps’s lap, gossiping about who knows what.Speaking of Dorinda. She was recently axed from the series. And due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there was no Pamella Roland runway. The look book that replaces it is full of jewel-toned blues and greens, as well as flashes of orange and pink. Roland is recently back from the Bahamas where she has a home, and the flora and fauna she saw there inspired her new collection.Roland is a remarkably consistent designer: You’re always going to find a lot of megawatt dresses. This season you’ll notice more cocktail numbers, but even those still have her signature glitz. Consider the lavender dress with ostrich feathers sprouting from it. Here’s to hoping that one day soon we’ll see our chatty reality TV friends front row again wearing their very electrifying looks. Both Pamella Roland andRHONY,even sans Dorinda, must go on.
15 September 2020
This season, Pamella Roland based her fall 2020 collection around the Palace of Versailles. Many of her dresses have followed the same formula for several seasons now: shiny, glittery, body-con, red carpet–ready, and with all the makings of a gown that will catch the light of the camera. But Versailles felt like a good fit and added a bit more lavish pizzazz to Roland’s dresses. A disclaimer: This writer has never been to Versailles, or France for that matter, but I could somewhat gauge the over-the-top excess of the historic site through the designer’s signature megawatt pieces.A shoulderless dress with bishop sleeves that was slathered in sequins–literally blinding–was a hot hit. The same sentiment went for a strapless tube dress that was reminiscent of crushed pink glass. These simpler pieces hit home more than the boisterous looks, like the emerald green frock with a huge train streaming behind it.The item that stood out the most wasn’t spangly or glittering at all. Instead, it was a tapestry coat that appeared as if florals had been blotted onto it. The sleeves sprouted different-colored ostrich feathers. Did it evoke Versailles? I have no idea, but it was exquisite.
7 February 2020
The cast ofThe Real Housewives of New York Cityhad very much arrived at the Pamella Roland show today at Pier 59. There were four of them: Ramona Singer, Dorinda Medley, Luann de Lesseps, and Sonja Morgan, who invited me to a fashion show of her own this coming Friday. The women are really a sight to see, especially if you’ve never watched an episode of their show, like this writer. The pack of reality stars with perfect blowouts took up a whole lotta space with their video crew trailing behind. When I went backstage to interview Roland, she suggested we move to another room to speak. “The Housewives are here,” she said.Perched front row, they embodied the megawatt clothes on the runway. It goes without saying that Roland’s garments are for customers who don’t shy away from the spotlight but in fact worship it. Women who wear Roland’s dresses, which are often bedazzled and glitzy, want those sparkling embroideries to catch the light of a camera flash. Per that message, there were those signature no-fail dresses, like a grass green gown fully embroidered with crystals, appearing as if it were painted onto the model. The majority of these weren’t groundbreaking, but they served the customer.What was new from Roland were her zebra-print pieces. They broke up the monotony of all the jewels and florals. (She mentioned that animal prints were a best-seller from last season.) Look 18 was a standout: A short dress with spangled zebra print, sliced with cutouts, and a skirt that bloomed with ostrich feathers that were dyed black and white. It was definitely fierce enough for a Housewife.
10 September 2019
The Musée d’Orsay holds special significance for art lovers as the epicenter of Impressionist and post-Impressionist masterworks; the museum boasts the world’s most extensive collection of paintings by artists like Paul Cézanne, Vincent van Gogh, and Édouard Manet. For Pamella Roland, time in Paris necessitates a visit, and her most recent trip served as the starting point for her Resort collection. Inspired by the dreamlike feel of Claude Monet’s landscapes, Roland sought to bring the mood of the paintings into her clothing.Roland is associated with a particular kind of glamour—see the glitzy red carpets of Cannes where her designs are regularly featured. Her heavily embellished gowns are far from the ethereal ideals of impressionism, but she offered her own take on the notion of en plein air. Ostrich feathers were dyed in complementary pastel shades to mimic the passage of light, florals came to life with metallic embroidery, and shades of sea-foam green and violet called to mind the soft palette of water lilies. Still, only a handful of looks attempted to mimic the signature brush strokes; while promising, the concept felt underutilized.Though the radical spirit of the movement and its break from tradition didn’t quite register within the collection, there was an overarching prettiness that unified the big gowns and opera coats. Standout pieces were designed for cocktail hour: minidresses with cluster beading and laser-cut crystals, slinky black sequined numbers with built-in corsets, and gilded suiting, all certain to please Roland’s core audience.
30 May 2019
Today Pamella Roland mentioned that over the past few years, her 17-year-old business has doubled. “We are doing what our customer wants—great cocktail dresses and gowns,” she said backstage. Inspired by Tiffany glass and stained glass windows, Roland churned out dresses that were glinting and full of megawatt Hollywood potential for Fall. Per usual, the more body-hugging silhouettes packed more of a punch than the princess-style dresses. A standout was the black tulle jumpsuit that came embroidered in emerald and silver sequins with each stream of paillettes tracing the body in an almost trompe l’oeil effect.New this season was Roland’s increased use of feathers, which she said was due to customer requests. They worked into the collection quite nicely: A strapless dress embroidered with pearls in a gradient format had ostrich feathers that sparsely dotted the skirt section and added a romantic movement to the tight-fitting piece. At times, their application was more intricate and very beautiful, like the olive tinsel feathers that made up a whole skirt on one dress.While the collection didn’t offer much that was new, it was all very pretty, with dresses that were sparkling, glittering, and made for the red carpet. Roland doesn’t stray far from what has been working for her all these years. And why should she if it’s bringing her success and making her clients happy?
7 February 2019
In the age of the reissue, some collections serve as greatest-hits compilations, but Pamella Roland’s Pre-Fall output played like a remix disc. Eagle-eyed red carpet fans will recognize familiar silhouettes, like the sequined and feathered Spring 2018 number Chrissy Teigen wore to the Art of Elysium gala earlier this year, or Jenna Dewan’s slinkyVanity FairOscars party gown, but each familiar look received an update and a fresh color palette. Inspired by photography and the blurry bokeh of slightly out-of-focus film images, Roland utilized warm hues that faded into each other and a selection of stark black and white. The choice worked well, especially on vivid pieces like a one-shoulder gown with pleated stripes that seemed to mimic the look of striated rock formations.Save that one outside-the-box gown, it was business as usual for Roland, which meant loads of glitz and a focus on eveningwear. Standouts like a cocktail-length navy look with tiered ruffles and a sequined bodice were beautiful, but déjà vu isn’t always a good thing. The retail longevity of Pre-Fall necessitates a degree of caution, yet the collection’s highlights came when the standards were left behind in favor of fresh ideas. An unexpected minimalist section detailed with pearls offered an alternative to the glut of embellishment, while a glittering black jumpsuit was an easy option for nights out. Only time will tell what the celebrity crowd will gravitate toward, but they’re likely to find something awards season–worthy amid all the sparkle.
7 December 2018
Pamella Roland’s show boasted quite the crowd. On one bench sat four women fromThe Real Housewives of New York City, and on the neighboring bench was socialite and heiress Nicky Hilton Rothschild. The guests represented Roland’s clientele well: They may vary in age, but they’re all lovers of the red carpet and its cameras. Though most of the collection did not break new ground, these guests appeared to enjoy the megawatt elements, too—evident by their phone usage—including a gold sequin-slathered dress with epaulets and a hot-pink cocktail dress boasting thin webs of embroidery.If there was anything that pushed reality-television-show style in a new direction, it was the shine-less ostrich feathers, which added a sense of lightness. The opening number was a head-turning cocktail dress covered in those feathers, dyed a pale sage, complete with a diving, daggerlike décolletage. Nonetheless, the application sometimes went overboard—see the pale-pink embroidered gown on which the feathers appeared to overwhelmingly sprout from the jewels.While Roland is known for her dresses, her pants were standouts here. Take the highlighter-yellow crepe suit that was outlined with matching pearls. The pearls created an effect that nipped in the waist and cut a slender figure. One pared-back pantsuit look included an elongated black jacket with white asymmetrical lapels, one of which coolly hugged the shoulder as if it was sliding off. Though it might not have had the wild glamour that a character fromRHONYor the younger Hilton sister looks for—there was a jumpsuit completely covered in silver sequins for that—it was the most elegant look in the mix.
6 September 2018
Pamella Roland is ready for the holidays. Resort may have a reputation as the season for warm-weather getaways and cruises, but the designer’s latest collection zeroed in on the fete-filled nights that mark the year’s end. Roland’s girl is going out, and if the bevy of sequin-encrusted gowns and marabou-laden dresses are any indication, the destination calls for glitz. Citing a recent trip to the Bahamas as a starting point, Roland kept the color scheme tropical but focused on a splashy take on dressing that seemed more showgirl than beach bum.Shown in Bulgari’s newly renovated Fifth Avenue boutique, the dresses were given opportunity to shine alongside a wealth of decadent jewelry. Accenting models with luxe gems was a savvy move—a coiling Serpenti necklace can elevate any look—but the collection came with its own bling. A corseted black and gold top inlay with sequins and crystals made a statement, as did a beaded cocktail dress with a silvery fringe. Simpler pieces—a berry-tone jumpsuit with sweeping sleeves and a sherbet-color tiered gown among them—failed to make much of an impression; nonetheless, the standout moments were impressive. Going full princess with a hothouse-flower-printed number and embracing the mermaid silhouette in bold blue brocade, Roland gave her audience pieces to look forward to.
12 June 2018
For her Fall 2018 collection, Pamella Roland, who is known for her megawatt numbers, used a recent trip to Prague (including a water boat tour) as a point of reference. Here, she took inspiration from the city’s historical architecture, applying jewels and using jewel tones in many of her pieces. There was a glitzy knockout, a Roland signature, that took form in a sheer bustier jumpsuit encrusted with crystals in all the necessary places. On the more pared-back end was a violet pantsuit with an asymmetrical blazer that cut a sharp, elegant figure. The second look out, a slinky camel cashmere sheath dress with a long duster coat, harked back to a ’90s-era cool, minimalist attitude.Some pieces veered onto the try-hard spectrum, like a cloque off-the-shoulder mullet top and pant with a busy color scheme that evoked crashing waves. Still, in some instances, that more-is-more idea was great, like a gown boasting metal fringes that swished every time the model took a step. A black crepe dress with a slit across the chest, outlined with pearls, had a particularly beautiful, understated glamour. The Prague inspiration wasn’t apparent, but that didn’t matter: It had effortlessly stellar va-va-voom.
8 February 2018
The customer is always right, and this season Pamella Roland is taking heed. While Roland could never be accused of ignoring her target demographic, prefall’s extended shelf life requires a particular degree of consideration. These days it isn’t enough to adhere to the client’s wishes; a designer must anticipate them. As such, Roland and her team created a plethora of options designed to cater to several classes of consumers. There was something for everyone, or at least that was the logic that drove the collection. Doyennes received bejeweled capes in shades of magenta and floor-length tulle gowns, and millennials got hand-beaded dresses with high slits, while the tinsel-covered hot pink minis were reserved for the Gen-Z set.Options are nice—and effective on the sales floor—but all the variety can lead to a lack of cohesion within a collection. The frippery of Roland’s mint green cocktail numbers detailed with paillettes and feathers didn’t connect with the sleekness of her long-sleeved black beaded gowns. Still, the audiences for the pieces are divergent enough that neither group should notice. New developments with appeal included black and gold jacquard coat dresses and a unique sequin-covered screen print that added depth to sparkly evening wear.
3 December 2019
Call it the Gigi Hadid effect. The supermodel stepped out in October wearing one of Pamella Roland’s tailored suits and introduced a whole generation to this maker of eveningwear. Roland noticed the new attention and skewed her Pre-Fall collection youthful and accessible. Sure, there were plenty of the gala gowns and red carpet dresses that are Roland’s bread and butter, but, using Cy Twombly’s art as a jumping off point, most of the pieces received an abstract update. With intricate sequin designs covering bodices of goddess gowns and brushstrokes rendered on voluminous skirts, the art history vibe was strong.A series of deconstructed grayscale prints with a chiaroscuro effect looked appealing, a dramatic crimson ruffled gown worthy of the red-dress emoji is sure to make the extroverts happy, and a smart black cocktail look covered in glittering fringe will prove universal, meaning it will attract her new fans and old. Though a segment dedicated to multicolored sequin–encrusted looks felt overwrought, the pieces that worked made up for it, and Roland left room at the end for the most important item—an It girl–approved little red suit.
8 December 2017
Few destinations hold greater allure for the jet set than Monaco. With its photogenic royals and luxurious casinos the Mediterranean city-state is a breeding ground for glamour—a fact that isn’t lost on Pamella Roland. For her Spring 2018 show, Roland looked to the nation’s past and present, citing the timeless allure of Grace Kelly as well as a recent trip to the Grand Prix as sources of inspiration. “Everything is just beautiful there,” said Roland backstage. “The cars, the buildings, the people—my customer wants beautiful, over-the-top gowns, and that’s the place where you’re going to see them.” Abandoning a secondary reference point to focus on core pieces designed to be crowd-pleasers, Roland was in her element, delivering one frothy tulle gown after another.Of course, giving people more of what they want has its disadvantages. Audience reaction to richly detailed dresses like a blush embroidered lace gown with ostrich feathers adorning its hems was audibly enthusiastic, but restraint can be as effective as embellishment. This collection’s standout moments occurred when focus was kept on a singular design element—ombre sequins taking center stage on a formfitting sheath; metallic fringe accenting lacy embroidery; gold threadwork adding princess-y appeal to a cocktail dress. Given the actress-filled front row, it’s clear that Rolland’s creations are ready for their close-up, but the full-tilt glamour could have used a little of Grace Kelly’s understated touch.
6 September 2017
With Pamella Roland’s celebrity dressing resume, her glamorous personal style, and her position in New York high society, some may easily forget that she’s a Midwestern girl, born and raised in Michigan. For her Resort collection, she traveled back to her summer home in the northern part of the state. Roland keeps a garden at her lakeside residence in Bay Harbor, Michigan, and it was from there that she drew inspiration.This season, the designer admittedly stepped out of her comfort zone a bit in using a yellow palette for a couple of her Hollywood-ready dresses, both with one-shoulder silhouettes and thigh-high slits. There were blue ombré skirts, soft blush-colored lace, and striking beadwork that has long been her signature embellishment. Roland also incorporated pretty, painterly floral prints, most successfully on a gown with side cut-outs and a low V-neckline. Aside from the blooms, the designer included a range of striking red dresses and a customer-pleasing black and white lineup too. In essence, the collection was a little bit of shiny red-carpet Manhattan mixed with Roland’s idyllic life up at the lake.
11 June 2017
The politicized canvases of Mark Rothko may be the furthest thing from your mind when looking atPamella Roland’s frothy eveningwear, but this season the designer had modern art on the mind. “I just love the colors that he used, and when I saw his work I knew that these were the colors that I wanted in my show,” said Roland backstage. True to her word, the vibrancy of Rothko’s Multiform-era palette found its way into crepe sequined jumpsuits and slinky velvet dresses. With a playful brushstroke motif covering gowns, Roland continued the theme, but the nods to fine art were overshadowed by the collection’s frippery—who can focus on abstract expressionism when there are ostrich-feather hems and mesh inserts aplenty?Embellishment provided the collection with its strongest moments and the occasional misfire. The addition of fur throughout added opulence to cashmere cocoon coats and visual interest when presented in striped, patchwork variations. Sparkling embroidered belts, however, were unwieldy and distracted from the beauty of textured suiting. With a sumptuous finale Roland once again proved herself adept at creating red carpet–worthy drama, and she was at her best with an unabashedly pretty moss green gown covered in crystals.It’s Roland’s commitment to prettiness that keeps consumers coming back for more. Rothko may have famously stated that if you are only moved by color relationships, you are missing the point, but Roland’s clientele isn’t likely to care. For those in search of their next awards-season ensemble or soiree look, the appeal of the purely decorative is more than enough.
10 February 2017
Fast and furious was the name of the game forPamella Roland’s Pre-Fall collection. This season, the designer swerved from the lightness of Spring 2017 to a tougher and rather unusual means of inspiration: exotic sports cars. For a woman who based her last several collections on places like Positano and such people as Peggy Guggenheim, her direction toward sleek red Ferraris and silver BMWs seemed a tad odd. Traces of theTransformers-esque automobiles that Roland referenced were seen mainly in the embellishments, like the silver metal grommets on a sleeveless black jumpsuit and the deep emerald green and black sequins sewn onto a sheer bodice in strips that resembled tire tracks, giving off a sort of ombré sheen matching that of a brand-new convertible.More simple looks came by way of a crepe LBD with shiny black car seat–style piping and a white structured evening coat with a military collar. And then there were the usual suspects in Roland’s repertoire—red carpet–worthy gowns with geometric beading, metallic fringe, and crystals galore. With this new offering of slightly revved-up romance, she may have taken a quick drive outside of girly-ville, but not one that went very far.
6 December 2016
This season, designerPamella Rolandcited the picturesque seaside village of Positano, Italy, as inspiration. The pretty destination and its landscape came through in some of the pieces, such as a minidress that had a thick blush pink and lavender stripe cutting across it, or a body-skimming light green jumpsuit. The looks may have seemed basic, but they were figure flattering in subtle ways, like how thin cutout lines traced the bodice of the jumpsuit to bring the eye toward the waist.Roland also embellished simple offerings with pearls (“People love pearls,” she said after the show). They were a regal touch, adding a little luster to the décolletage of a simple sage-hued dress and lining the cap sleeves of a black cocktail frock. The less decorated items and formal designs had a welcome edge, like a LBD that felt tough thanks to the triangular splices of leather.The traditional beaded pieces, a go-to for Roland’s customer, were standouts. A white see-through gown had adornment that webbed over the body for a deity effect, as did an emerald number with a low-cut neck and an iridescent gradated sky blue dress. We’re sure we’ll be seeing these on a red carpet soon.
10 September 2016
As those who attendedPamella Roland’s Spring ’16 outing at the then-new Whitney (the first fashion show staged in the space) already know, the doyenne of red carpet flash is an avid supporter of the arts. She’s on the Whitney’s board, and is known to periodically name-check an artist or two among her collection notes. This season it was James Turrell and Spencer Finch who were on the receiving end of the Roland nod, both known for their use of light and palette. The designer channeled that luminosity through fabrications like a nice metallic brushstroke jacquard and her trademark use of generous embellishment; fistfuls of bugle beads and the like were cut specifically for optimal sparkle.Evening separates, a growing category for both the industry and Roland’s business specifically, looked a little fusty here, like prim beaded tops and straight trousers. Better was a caftan-esque white gown with a cowl back that felt almost louche. Even if pieces like that won’t necessarily get pulses racing among industry types, they remain a staple of red carpets and black-tie bashes, a field where Roland inspires a whole lot of loyalty. Eva Longoria wore a pair of the label’s looks at Cannes, while Vanessa Williams tied the knot to her husband for the second time over last month sporting a Roland look.
9 June 2016
Pamella Rolandhas built her career on the backs of celebrity clients, a good number of whom you can expect to see in her glitzy gowns on the red carpet. In the past, however, her clientele has tended to be the Paris Hiltons of the world (who, by the way, was sitting front row) rather than theLady Gagas. But Fall 2016 seemed to move the needle slightly more in the direction of the latter. Take, for instance, the opener: a metallic fringe mop worn with thigh-high boots that looked nearly sci-fi as the look swished down the runway. Hilton, of course, would have nothing to do with this. Gaga, on the other hand . . . perhaps.The departure was, according to the show notes, inspired by the “futuristic skyline of Tokyo.” Indeed, there was something architectural about the stiff, rounded shoulders on some of the more minimal looks; and the black, small-sequin embroidered dresses toward the middle recalled a skyscraper glittering in the sun. These were some of Roland’s stronger looks. Also beautiful was the chain-link lattice beadwork which showed up on both a black cocktail dress and a nude-and-white gown. Elsewhere, the message was less clear, overpowered by all the vibrant jewel tones, the sequins, the fur. Overall, the collection lacked cohesion. However, Roland is stepping out of her comfort zone, and is to be commended for it.
12 February 2016
Peggy Guggenheim—the mid-century’s larger-than-life philanthropist, fairly a modern Medici—and her beloved, adopted home of Venice were the fodder forPamella Rolandthis season. Those who tuned in to the recent docPeggy Guggenheim: Art Addictgot a taste of the matron’s brand of eccentric opulence and voracious appetites of all sorts. Perhaps unsurprisingly, it was the opulence Roland set her sights on here, rather than the eccentricity.Consider undulating, beaded Baroque flourishes on Roland’s column gowns; a palette of murky green-blues that conjured up the canals themselves; or a Byzantine-inspired, luminously gilded lace—nicest as a fur-trimmed A-line coat. The best look of the bunch was a sweeping, exuberant number in sheeny silk faille, its body fuchsia topped by a regal-looking purple overlay, then belted just below the bust and splashed with a handful of delicate metal laurel leaves—pure Peggy.
2 December 2015
Today’sPamella Rolandaffair was the inaugural fashion show to be staged at the Whitney Museum of American Art’s new Meatpacking digs. If it’s somewhat surprising that that particular honor didn’t go to an “artsier” designer, it should be noted that Roland does sit on the museum’s board and has been passionately involved in the new space since its earliest days. What, then, would a label that is fluent in mermaid dresses and marked by a kind of princess-y exuberance when it comes to full-throttle glamour offer up for a turn at this bastion of the avant-garde? As the designer put it backstage, “You can’t show in a museum and not do art.”Roland was especially interested in the work of Frank Stella, known for his large-scale geometric paintings in Technicolor palettes (a major retrospective bows at the Whitney in late October). She evoked that oeuvre in subtle ways. Some of her nicest propositions came through in a series of silk gowns whose fronts were folded up, origami-style, to expose the fabric’s brilliantly hued undersides. Liquid organza was surprisingly techy in a floor-grazing blush number, but the huge floppy bow it appeared as on a column gown fell a little flat.Roland’s real successes here were the ones in which Stella’s spirit seemed to guide her most: the punchy and relatively spare pieces (though it was hard to deny that a wild-card crystal-encrusted jumpsuit would look pretty great on Mary J. Blige, who sat front-row). The more precious items, like a strapless, bubble-hemmed minidress in sea-foam with white roses, or a jewel-trimmed, ’50s-feeling evening coat, seemed to run counter to both the designer’s message and the venue.
12 September 2015
How does a doyenne of red-carpet flou pay homage to easy summers whiled away at her home on Lake Michigan? By setting her sights on the pinks and oranges of a sunset, the blue of the water, the white of the clouds. Pamella Roland and her team wanted to create pieces that were light but still felt appropriately important in the context of her brand. She riffed on rippling waters in the gradient-effect beading (not one, but four shades of milky blue bugle beads) on the front of a wispy sheath and the undulating bodice of a gown. One of her odes to those MI sunsets came in the form of a peachy-orange A-line dress, ombré not only in color, but in opacity, as the dress dissolved into an airy sheerness at the hem.There was indeed a lot of lightness here, a nice development to Roland's occasionally overwrought styles. The showier numbers, like a sorbet-colored silk evening gown with big metallic blooms scattered across the skirt and a multihued, rose-print tiered frock were less compelling than the simpler ones. That powder blue beaded sheath was a winner.
4 June 2015
Pants opening a Pamella Roland show?Quelleshock! Yes, the matriarch of eveningwear as we know it kicked off her Fall collection with a pantsuit. Backstage preshow Roland name-checkedThe Beautiful Falland the book's vision of Paris in the 1970s, with its creative tribes and blazing nightlife. And so she came to send out a tuxedo cape and whittled wool flares as her opener (there was a touch of Betty Catroux about the look, to Roland's credit). The designer said her inspiration had "loosened up" her signature no-holds-barred, no-surrender glamour a bit, pointing to the choice to pair thigh-high Manolos with gowns, for one. And indeed, things did feel a little less rigid here. A nice striped charcoal and navy jumpsuit with a lace-up detail (and a pair of thigh-high slits,bien sûr) felt the most in the spirit of the thing, though you could nearly imagine Brigitte Bardot circa the early '70s—tawny, and maybe a touch worse for wear—in the penultimate look, a sheer black fil coupe gown. Among Roland's less successful propositions were the numbers bearing splashy, cobalt-flocked chinoiserie, and a grouping in a fussy plum and black floral jacquard: Those could have done with a bit more of the demimonde.
16 February 2015
Coverage. Not an easy thing to pull off in eveningwear, but it's what Pamella Roland's customer wants. For Pre-Fall, the designer made a point of offering more than a few sleeved gowns, managing to forgo the frump so often associated with additional fabric. A berry-colored boatneck number glided over the body, and the draped back of a champagne satin column softly skimmed the shoulders. Time spent in Paris over the past year served as what felt like tangential inspiration for Roland. The season's jumpsuit, for instance, was done in hand-painted French lace. "It's what the stylists are asking for," the designer said of the trendy piece. Indeed, while Roland's tendency to overdo it wasn't totally brushed away—neoprene appliqué flowers maybe aren't so effective on a formal ball gown—the collection was generally on point. An ombré-dyed mink coat with python accents was something that Roland's most-coveted client, the kind of woman who buys gowns at full price a few times a year, would love to make part of her repertoire.
8 December 2014
A little travel will do anyone good. For Pamella Roland, a Tokyo inspiration proved a fine antidote to some of the excesses seen on her runway last season, as she embraced pastels, cleaner lines, and hints of kimono styling. Roland traded in sequins for simple satin twill, and clingy silhouettes for a somewhat easier elegance. Materials were deployed pretty nicely all around, from an unusual and exquisite cobwebby lace that recalled the delicacy ofwashipaper, to rumpled metallic organzas hand-painted with koi fish. Waists were accentuated with ornate knots in an echo of traditionalmizuhikitechniques.Roland is a doyenne of red-carpet dressing, and eveningwear is a vital element of her brand, but she turned out some good separates here, too, from a boxy leather tee in pale orchid to a taupe lambskin vest with a froth of hand-painted cherry blossoms descending one shoulder. An offering like this should certainly build momentum for Roland's soon-to-launch bridal range—especially the fil coupe wedding gown that closed the show.
9 September 2014
Pamella Roland's latest Resort collection was loosely inspired by her mother's garden—"the memory of it, an abstract," explained David Rodriguez, Roland's VP of design and brand development.In this case, the more abstract, the better. Roland used the same floral design throughout, but how it was rendered drastically changed its appeal. A floral party dress, done in a brash black-and-purple, was pieced together with strips of hand-beading—the technique was neat, the effect less so. Appliquéd flowers made of feathers seemed unnecessary when added to a few of Roland's signature beaded dresses, given the intricacy of the beadwork.The garden-ish concept succeeded in a black-and-white floral jacquard gown covered in sparingly beaded black tulle. The solid-color dresses were pretty, too. A bright magenta gown, made of silk faille, fell away from the bust in a grand, sweeping fashion, and a series of fit-and-flare frocks in hothouse colors were almost universally flattering. The winner, though, was a strapless cocktail number in a faded lavender gray floral that had a narrow skirt and fabric gathered at the front. Cute without being cutesy, its appeal went far beyond the garden party.
1 June 2014
"We have some shine, because of the Chrysler Building; not too much, very tastefully done," Pamella Roland said backstage before her Fall runway show. With all due respect to the designer, the sequins that came down the catwalk tonight could have filled that selfsame landmark, such was their sheer volume. Roland was having a thirties moment, inspired by Deco architecture.A metallic floral bomber and skirt set early on felt youthful and cool; even sequin pants had a certain breeziness to them when paired with a handsome navy jacquard jacket in a geometric print. But even before eveningwear rolled around, the unrelenting glitz had begun to feel fussy and insistent; Lurex, ombré sequins, beaded fringe, lamé, satin, mesh, tiled sequins, and more sequins. Scarcely a look in the bunch went unembellished.It's no secret that Roland's designs aren't what you'd reach for when popping out to the grocery store, but there was a cloying opulence to this collection that made her Spring offering look positively spartan by comparison. It didn't help that at nearly 50 looks, many felt redundant. While it may have been the thirties Roland cited as her inspiration, it's safe to say that Fall had more in common with the excesses of the twenties.
11 February 2014
For Pre-Fall, Pamella Roland's idea was to weave animal prints into her formalwear world, a tricky stunt to say the least. After all, those kinds of spots and stripes traditionally work best on demure items such as ballet flats and cashmere cardigans.Roland was able to pull it off by using them in slightly abstract ways. "There's a newness to it," said David Rodriguez, the brand's VP of design and brand development. A zebra print, for instance, was rendered in ruby and black on day-to-dinner dresses that shimmered just enough to make them feel worthy of a party. (One was a more romantic fit-and-flare, the other a no-nonsense shift.) The real winner was a knee-length frock with a crisscross back, done in a dove gray leopard-print jacquard that almost looked like it was painted on.Things got a little more complicated when it came to a copper-and-black sequined minidress, which had leopard spots going down the front and stripes on the sides. A bittoowild. Also going too far—albeit in another direction—was a one-shoulder minidress made up of a patchwork of purple, gray, and black sequins. Sequins are Roland's signature, so they should be part of her most exciting pieces. This just felt out of place. Roland and her team are at their best when their designs are unfussy, as in the case of a gray V-neck jumpsuit that was both simple and dressy at once.
10 December 2013
Pamella Roland attended the Cannes Film Festival for the first time last spring, and this season's collection was inspired by sixties starlets on the Mediterranean red carpet. (It rained a lot on Roland's trip, so she threw in a few raincoats, just in case.) You could feel the actresses' influence in the capes and trains that trailed behind the eveningwear and in the shape of a few dresses that were demure and Grace Kelly-esque with their full skirts and accented waists. There was a mod mood, too, with bursts of color-blocking breaking up the predominantly neutral palette and a beaded geometric motif that recurred on several looks. The beading was hit-or-miss. A sparkly honeycomb overlay on the opening dress was interesting enough, but the gridwork that made up the sleeves and yoke on an otherwise fine ivory crepe jumpsuit looked like a style trap best avoided. In general, it was the embellishments that faltered, like too-heavy black Plexi beading and mirrored hexagonal ornamentation. But underneath the add-ons, Roland benefited from using lovely fabrics this season. Silk faille, crepe, and jacquard all lent the simply constructed clothes a special-occasion air.
8 September 2013
Architect Philip Johnson's mid-century modern masterpiece, the Glass House, informed the fifties-style silhouettes and geometric-cut mirror appliqués of Pamella Roland's new collection. "For resort, I tend to design pieces that I would want to wear right now," said Roland in her studio, showing off a black mock-neck mini with a sheer panel insert across the shoulders. (She wore a cream version of the dress to this year's Cannes Film Festival.) Along with several day-to-night options—including an exceedingly flattering shirtwaist dress in sapphire blue and a silvery tweed skirt set inlaid with sheer paneling—there were plenty of gala-ready gowns.Formalwear is the designer's bread and butter, so it's important she deliver in that category. A red carpet–destined number in chartreuse was pretty if out of place, its fluidity going against the rest of the collection's subtle structure. A lipstick red peplum bodice would have looked chicer matched with a pair of cigarette pants instead of a mermaid skirt. However, she did well with allover sequins, creating a cool honeycomb pattern for a short-sleeve dress that had a young, unfussy feel. Indeed, getting a design cliché like that right is no easy feat. "For a few seasons, I thought the world was over sequins," Roland said. "But women started to dress up again, and I realized they're never really gone."
4 June 2013
Pamella Roland channeled the opulence of Saint Petersburg's Winter Palace for her Fall collection. She turned memories of wrought-iron gates into wool laces that scrolled across deep green and purple cocktail dresses and spun pale gold from the Palace's interiors into metallic brocades used in capes and coats fit for a czarina. Leather, peplums, metallic tweeds, ruffles, beaded fur—the clothes were just as ornate as their inspiration might imply, and often as heavy.There were some moments of lightness. Mesh panels on cap sleeves and midriffs gave the gilding space to breathe. But all that OTT luxury found a home in Roland's finale gowns. It was there in the 100-plus buttons spiraling around the body, sternum to thigh, on one forest green silk crepe gown, unbuttoning to a just-so point. And there was real Hollywood vamp potential in a strapless red gown cut to trace the model's every curve.There are a number of designers at New York fashion week sharing Roland's niche—clothes for fantasy occasions rather than the everyday. Roland's points of difference are the dark glamour of her designs and a good-from-all-angles approach. If she keeps playing to these strengths in the wake of her triple credit at the Golden Globes, we can expect to see more of her gowns at red-carpet events to come.
10 February 2013
Pamella Roland is known for her fluid, feminine gowns that are a hit with the red-carpet set, but the winds of change were blowing for Spring, and Roland showed a monochromatic collection featuring stricter silhouettes and more separates, in keeping with the designer's personal style. Wearing a sharp tuxedo suit at the presentation similar to look 3, Roland said she's always been more of a pants girl, "but we became known for our dresses, so I just went with it." A peplum tank with sheer side insets was shown with a slim pencil skirt, while simple shifts with graphic "maco" beading were inspired by Ellsworth Kelly's streamlined black and white paintings (Roland is an art buff and is on the board of trustees at the Whitney Museum). These linear pieces were a nice change of pace for Roland, but overall, eveningwear was still the clear victor here. We predict one of Roland's starlet clients will scoop up the standout look, a dramatic, caftan-inspired number with a beaded halter neckline and cutout shoulders, for an upcoming awards show or film festival appearance.
9 September 2012