ML - Michigan Avenue

2014 - Issue 4 - Summer

Michigan Avenue - Niche Media - Michigan Avenue magazine is a luxury lifestyle magazine centered around Chicago’s finest people, events, fashion, health & beauty, fine dining & more!

Issue link: http://digital.greengale.com/i/335804

Contents of this Issue

Navigation

Page 98 of 163

A s a child, Pamella Roland adored watching her mother dress in glamorous gowns before an evening out. But in her home- town of Grand Rapids, Michigan, becoming a fashion designer was certainly not a well-trodden career path. "I've always loved fash- ion," Roland says. "But I never dreamed when I started that [the line] would go any where." Since launching her label Pamella Roland in 2002, though, her dresses have found favor with celebrities like Kristen Bell, Jennifer Hudson, and Julianna Margulies, as well as women of all ages seeking a timeless and elegant look. Roland's latest venture is Pamella, Pamella Roland, a dif- fusion line of cocktail and black-tie dresses priced between $500 and $1,000. "It was something that was needed and that a lot of people asked for," Roland says. Two of her most-loved materials, jacquard and chiffon, are featured in this collection of nearly 30 pieces. "We use basically the same fabrics that we use in our high line, only less expensive [versions]." While her gowns are acclaimed for their intricate prints, Roland also credits her success to the desig ns' abilit y to bridge generations. "We dress the mothers, the daughters, and the grandmothers," she says. "It's a classic style—dresses that are very sexy but not too sexy." Roland and her husband, Dan DeVos, split their time between Grand Rapids a nd t heir home in R iver Nor t h ("Chicago w ill a lways be my favorite city," says the designer). She finds that her clothes are perfectly suited for sophisticated Chicago women. The women here "are really chic. I compare them a little bit to New York, [but] they aren't afraid of color like New Yorkers are," she says with a laugh. The mother of three also prides herself on designs that are uncomplicated: "If you can't fig- ure out how to put it on, forget it. What we have with our dresses are beautiful fabrics—easy to wear, and yet they're beautiful. A Chicago woman likes that idea." Neiman Marcus, 737 N. Michigan Ave., 312-642- 5900; neimanmarcus.com MA Perfectly Pamella CHICAGO DESIGNER PAMELLA ROLAND PUTS HER CHIC STAMP ON THE CITY WITH THE RELEASE OF HER NEW LINE, PAMELLA, PAMELLA ROLAND. BY JULIET IZON TASTEMAKER LEFT: Roland with her husband, Dan; their son; and their two daughters—her first models. RIGHT: Gazaar party dress ($700). " Chicago women are really chic but aren't afraid of color like New Yorkers are." PAMELLA ROLAND reasures MICHIGANAVEMAG.COM 97

Articles in this issue

Links on this page

Archives of this issue

view archives of ML - Michigan Avenue - 2014 - Issue 4 - Summer