Ella Rose has quite the impressive resume and hasn’t even graduated design school yet. She’s worked alongside the New Orleans Fashion Council, Mode Fashion Week, and Fashion Houston teams and interned for Andrea Loest. To top it off, the LSU senior is making her Nola Fashion Week debut this March as one of two emerging designers. Check out my Q&A with Ella below!

1. You’re from Shreveport, and now you live in South Louisiana. How has the culture in South Louisiana impacted your designs?
First of all, love to Shreveport, definitely a wonderful place to grow up, but I was super eager to see something new! Living in South Louisiana, I was immediately immersed into this “South LA culture” that I knew about, but didn’t grow up around. I fell in love with it much more than I ever expected. I definitely think that the culture has impacted my designs, because it is a very relaxed and fun environment. I like to design things that are quirky, but easy to wear, and the easy-going south has given me so much inspiration for that!

2. What was your biggest source of inspiration for the collection you’ll be showing at NOLA Fashion Week?
My first collection for Fashion Week is incredibly special to me. I started out at LSU as an art major, and have always enjoyed painting. Over the summer, working with Andrea Loest, she really took time to teach me about surface design of fabrics, something I had never really thought about at all. Now I’m completely attached to it! For this collection, I took a painting I had done, started playing with it on the computer, and created a fabric print from it. From there I also created my own screen prints to add to my designs. It’s a very playful and girly collection, but to me, it kinda tells a love story; ups, downs, and all!

3. What has been your best experience in fashion design so far?
My very first garment to ever walk a runway was at Dallas Career Day last year. That was so huge to me, I almost cried! I went from being completely terrible at pattern making, to completely creating a little red dress on my own that was chosen as one of a few from 500 students to walk the runway! So cool! But working with the Fashion Council just continually opens doors for me that I never would have expected. From working with Andrea, to coordinating about 100 volunteers, I’ve been all over the place with them, and it has been really fun and exciting. I can’t wait to take this next step as a designer myself!

4. Tell me about your plans after graduating LSU. What can we expect to see from you in the future?
After graduating in May, I’m planning on moving to New Orleans to continue building my brand, and growing as a designer. I’m really excited to be right in the middle of such a cultural hub, and to continue being inspired by the people and places. I’m definitely hoping that you can see many more of my designs in the future! I’m already getting excited to choose a new painting and inspirations to turn into something really neat.

5. Describe your personal style in three words.
Girly, colorful, and creative

A HUGE thank you and best of luck to Ella! NOLA Fashion Week’s 5th season will be March 2-9, 2013. See a full schedule of events here, and be sure to check back for the second emerging designer post with Noel Martin!