Last week, Pamella Roland revealed its 2018 Resort collection at Bulgari. The designer behind the label, Pamella DeVos, started the line with a friend in 2002—which is where the “Roland” half of the name comes from. Fifteen years later, DeVos is still coming up with beautiful creations for Pamella Roland, dressing the global A-List for black-tie events. “We just dressed Eva Longoria for Cannes,” she noted excitedly when I caught up with her at the reveal.
For Resort 2018, DeVos sought inspiration right outside the door of her Grand Rapids, Michigan, home. “I have the most beautiful garden, and so [my inspiration] is really very simply my garden,” DeVos said. She’s especially excited for customers to see the collection’s geranium red pieces. “We listen to our customers,” she explained. “They wanted more color, so we have quite a bit of color.” The Resort collection features multiple jumpsuits, which look just as elegant as the gowns for which DeVos is known. “People want jumpsuits,” she mused, “It used to just be the actresses that were asking for them, but now everyone wants them. I thought they would go away, but no, they’re still popular! I also wonder about beading, and how long that will be around, but I’m seeing it more and more.”
Pamella DeVos with Vanessa Williams at the presentation
The collection’s inspiration is a departure from previous seasons. “Ninety percent of the time, my collections are about an artist. Our last show it was Rothko,” she said. It’s not surprising DeVos finds so much inspiration in contemporary art, given that she serves as Vice President on The Whitney Museum of American Art’s Board of Trustees. The fashion designer easily rattled off a list of her favorite contemporary artists, from Koons to Jasper Johns, de Kooning, and Ellsworth Kelly, whom she knew personally and purchased artwork from.
What’s next for the busy businesswoman, designer, art patron and mother? DeVos plans to continue to expand her brand’s success overseas. “We do a lot of overseas business,” she remarked, “Our international business is getting bigger and bigger.” And she’ll be heading back to the Grand Rapids garden that inspired Resort 2018, though she splits her time between homes in Chicago and New York City as well. Despite her distinct love for each city, Grand Rapids feels most like home. “I tend to stay up too late [in New York],” she laughs.
