Lela Rose

If you want something feminine and event-ready that does not look like everyone else's, they earn their keep. Lela Rose built her name on feminine clothing rich with embellishment, which is exactly the kind of detail that reads as considered rather than off-the-rack. They sit in the occasion-and-bridal lane, so they suit a wedding, a gala or a moment you want to remember.

It is one of the brand's core strengths. Rose debuted her first bridal collection in fall 2006, and on the back of its success she partnered with The Dessy Group for an exclusive bridesmaid line. So whether you are dressing the bride or the wedding party, this is a label that built dedicated collections for the occasion rather than dabbling in it.

Feminine, embellished and occasion-minded. From her very first collection in 1996 she leaned into feminine clothing layered with embellishments, and that decorative, considered hand has stayed central to the label. Expect pieces designed to be the focus of an event rather than quiet basics.

The label moved from private clients into major retail after her early breakthrough. Once she gained wider attention, Rose expanded into retailers including Bergdorf Goodman and Neiman Marcus. Those department stores remain a natural place to find the ready-to-wear collections in person.

She is an American fashion designer who grew up in Dallas, Texas. Before fashion she studied painting and sculpture at the University of Colorado Boulder, graduating in 1991, then moved to New York and trained at Parsons School of Design. That fine-art grounding helps explain the brand's eye for colour and decorative detail.

It began almost by accident in college, where she ran a small business making vests from vintage scarves and decided fashion was her path. After Parsons she worked under designers Christian Francis Roth and Richard Tyler, then launched her own collection in 1996 out of her own apartment. The early pieces were feminine and heavily embellished.

It was a presidential one. In 2001 she designed the outfits worn by Jenna and Barbara Bush at their father's inauguration, which brought her sudden national attention. Until then she had worked mostly with private clients; afterwards she expanded into major retail.

Yes, her clientele has long skewed to recognisable names. Wearers have included Jessica Alba, Mindy Kaling, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, Selma Blair and the Princess of Wales, among others. That roster reflects the label's standing in polished occasionwear.

New York City. The designer lives in New York, where she launched her first collection out of her own apartment back in 1996. It remains the home of the brand and its bridal salon.

It does, and it is part of what distinguishes the label. Rose trained as a painter and sculptor before fashion, and that background informs the brand's confident use of colour and its sculptural, embellished detailing. Reading the clothes as a painter's work helps explain why pattern and texture feel so deliberate.