Beloved by editors, celebrities and the modern empowered woman, the New York City-based Lela Rose is a force veritable in the world of Ready-to-Wear and Bridal Wear. Known for their refined, elegant aesthetic, the brand is also recognized for their use of color in communicating their vision.
Recently, the team at Lela Rose found themselves outgrowing their existing office layout. Storage was a particular pain point, between the design, merchandising and sales teams, samples and materials were taking over.
We worked with the team at Lela Rose to modernize and energize their furniture solutions. Read on for their motivation behind making the change, the impact it’s had on their culture and adding color to your office life.
What was the motivation or inspiration to redesign your office?
We were looking to reimagine the space. Rather than a full renovation, we wanted to bring in new furniture and redesign the space to give it a whole new look and feel. We were looking for things that could move with us if needed instead of custom build outs.
What were your top priorities?
Increase space and storage.
What did the process look like? What surprised you the most? What was the biggest challenge?
Biggest challenge was probably trying to find the right pieces that worked for our floor plan and suitable for all teams from production to design to sales. The furniture needed to be flexible and modular since every team has different needs.
Was it as intensive as planning a season?
Very different! A lot of work goes into both projects….redesigning office space obviously has challenges and deciding where the priorities lie to benefit the team as a whole.
What drew you to Heartwork?
The function and design of the furniture. With most of our production in New York City, Heartwork's commitment to Made in America resonates with us.
Tell me about how you use color, both as a brand and in your space.
We live for color! If you preview our collections you’ll see we are not shy with color…one of Lela’s favorite brand colors that you’ll see time and time again is citrine.
We love the palette from your Spring 2019 collection and the synergy between the blush and yellow combination. Where does your inspiration come from for the different collections ? What is the process like?
Lela is constantly inspired whether it’s riding her bike around NYC or on a recent travel adventure.
How has the design of the space informed the design process, or way in which you work as individuals or teams?
There’s more work space for teams and I think that has really helped streamline things. Our design team got a Workbar that was a custom length and width for what their ideal design environment looks like, which is huge for them. Lets us all collaborate as teams more efficiently.
What are your favorite things about the new setup?
The use of space… it is so much more organized!
What feedback have you gotten from employees?
Our team loves it! Big upgrade from before.
Heartwork designs and manufactures working solutions for creative cultures. Contact us if we can help you solve storage and working challenges.
