
Designer of Ella Moss,
Pamella Protzel is an LA girl at
heart, and her hip, fun and quirky Ella Moss
collection reflects that. From daily after-school trips to Beverly Hills as a
middle schooler to Parisian flea market excursions as a teen, Protzel has always
been inspired by art, fashion, people and traveling. A true style prodigy, at
27, Protzel has already established Ella Moss as one of the hottest,
fastest-growing collections within the contemporary arena.
During college,
Protzel’s stylist friends raided her closet for her handmade T-shirts and prized
vintage pieces to take on photo shoots. It was then that she realized fashion
was her true calling. Transferring from
Pasadena’s Art Center as a graphic design student, Protzel arrived at
The Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising
(FIDM) in Los Angeles without knowing how to make a pattern. As a gifted artist,
she started drawing the silhouettes and loved learning how make her designs come
to fruition.
Rather than use a scientific approach to fashion design, Protzel relies on her
discerning eye and intuition, working with her hands, cutting up T-shirts and
experimenting with different dyes and fabrications for each piece. When
designing the green striped cotton dress Sarah
Jessica Parker wore on Sex and The City, Protzel describes the process
as more instinctual than calculated.
"People ask what my inspiration was for the striped dress
group, but I wasn’t actually thinking about specific eras or trends," says
Protzel. "I just wanted to create a flowy, feminine dress that had the comfort
level a T-shirt. For me, the design process is more organic."
Although the line has attracted celebrity fans like
Gwyneth Paltrow, Cameron Diaz, Kirsten Dunst
and Liv Tyler, Protzel doesn’t have plans to create Red Carpet gowns
any time soon. Radiating effortless style, Ella
Moss is casual, comfortable and fashionable, and each piece can always
work back to jeans and flip-flops.
Known for bright color palettes, simple shapes, soft,
wearable cottons and tonal stripes, Ella Moss strikes a delicate balance of
being edgy and vintage, without being over-the-top trendy. Recently featured on
The Today Show, the collection is
coveted by everyone from young, downtown trendsetters to hip mothers.