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It would be easy to mistake Lela Rose for a native New Yorker. The 36-year-old fashion designer resides in the heart of Tribeca, one of lower Manhattan's most authentic neighborhoods, and has for 13 of the 14 years she's lived in New York City. Her primary mode of transport is a vintage electric-blue tricycle, which she pedals six miles round-trip to her garment district studio, loyal Norwich terrier "Stitch" in tow. She scours Chinatown's markets for fresh fish and exotic chile peppers, and gushes about the delectable dumplings - "Five for $1, 10 for $2, it's a meal!" - and other culinary finds like a lifelong urban foodie.
But then ... "My husband makes the best margaritas," says Rose matter-of-factly. "When we go out, we're always looking for a good margarita. Real lime juice - no Rose's!"
The best in the city, she advises, can be found at Barrio Chino, a "teeny, funky spot" that uses fresh grapefruit and tequila-soaked habanero peppers. "I also have them add diced avocados," she says, practically salivating, and all at once, her cover is blown: That driving passion for a margarita could only come from a Texan.
Rose's ultra-urban existence is quite a contrast to her leafy childhood in Highland Park, Texas, and undergrad years at the University of Colorado in Boulder. But she manages to maneuver city life - which includes a 4-year-old son, an investment-banker husband and a booming career as a fashion designer - with the same style and ease that make her pretty dresses and daywear so appealing. The look is ladylike luxe but exudes a whimsical sense of effortlessness that is charming and engaging.
The same goes for her home, a warm, three-level, exposed-brick maisonette with floor-to-ceiling windows that open onto her street. There, Rose mixes Mies van der Rohe with 1940s Scandinavian and tosses in metallic jacquard throw pillows covered in her runway fabrics.
There's no doubt her style sense has been influenced by her parents, Deedie and Rusty Rose, who commissioned one of the greatest houses in Dallas, a glass and steel masterpiece by celebrated modern architect Antoine Predock. Her mother, a passionate art collector, sits on museum boards with the likes of Richard Meier and Reed Krakoff. Her father co-owned the Texas Rangers with George W. Bush, and the first daughters wear the Lela Rose label regularly.
But don't expect an air of privilege. Hard-working and exceptionally focused, Rose launched her business with her own money in 1996 after design stints with Richard Tyler and Christian Francis Roth. She's grown the company slowly, and today her collection can be found in boutiques across the country, including Tootsies here in Texas, as well as department stores such as Bergdorf Goodman, Saks Fifth Avenue and Nordstrom.
Her sweet take on fashion and unique style sense is a breath of fresh air in a city congested with the severely sleek. And while NYC may be her favorite city in the world, one thing is for sure: This bubbly New Yorker is a true Lone Star.
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LELA ROSE
FAVORITE MEAL: "Christmas morning, upside-down pear-gingerbread cake, ambrosia and sausage- and-egg casserole. My mother has made it every Christmas since I can remember, and I always look forward to it."
I WOULD NEVER WEAR: "Anything midriff-baring - or head-to-toe black."
ALWAYS IN MY PURSE: Excedrin and Bobbi Brown lip gloss
BIGGEST FASHION MISTAKE: "Wearing head-to-toe camouflage to an ultra-stuffy East Coast shooting club outside of NYC. Shooting' is just a haughty way to describe hunting. When one goesshooting,' they are usually attired in luxe sporting wear - no beer and gun racks."
SIGNATURE LOOK: A mix of color and texture worn in whimsical and quirky ways
FAVORITE LABELS (OTHER THAN YOUR OWN): Romeo Gigli, Marni and Yohji Yamamoto
I ALWAYS WEAR: A dress - "It is the easiest way to get it together in the morning."
FAVORITE CITY IN THE WORLD: New York
GETAWAY SPOT: "Sadly, I don't have one."
FAVORITE PLACES TO SHOP: "Shopping to me is all about food and ingredients and going to the markets. I spend a lot of time in Chinatown. For my son Grey, I like Bu and the Duck in Tribeca. For furnishings and antiques, BDDW and Wyeth in SoHo."
GUILTY PLEASURE: "Extremely expensive fabrics."
I COLLECT: Vintage cookbooks
I DRIVE: "A blue metallic tricycle complete with a basket big enough for Grey and my dog Stitch."
I'M LISTENING TO: The Shortwave Set
ALTERNATIVE PROFESSION: "Homemade-ice-cream shop owner and chef."
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(c) 2006, The Dallas Morning News. Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service.
