Native New Yorker Pamela Love began making jewelry in her Brooklyn apartment in 2007. Now 15 years later, Pamela (who recently became a mom!) has created a full production facility and design studio in Manhattan’s garment district. 

Offering ornate conceptual pieces that evoke the mystical and spiritual, Pamela explores jewelry from a point of storytelling and crafts her collections out of recycled metals and ethically-sourced, conflict-free stones.

Pamela’s collection (her first time ever designing clothing!) with Rent the Runway is available starting June 16, 2022 as a part of the RTR Design Collective. The capsule of summer dresses is inspired by the designer’s own personal style and the idea of playing with contrasts – mixing masculine and feminine details with urban and country aesthetics.

Recently, we caught up with Pamela to chat about this partnership, her design process and what went into creating this one-of-a-kind collection for Rent the Runway.  

RENT THE RUNWAY: To start, describe the Pamela Love collection in 5 words or less.

PAMELA LOVE: City. Country. Feminine. Organic. Unexpected.

RTR: What is the inspiration behind the collection?

PL: The inspiration behind the collection really comes from my own personal style and my friends. I really like mixing masculine and feminine, urban and country, high and low – playing with contrasts.

RTR: What was the design process like? How is it similar to designing your jewelry?

PL: The design process for this collection was very different from how I design jewelry because I’m working textiles which is a very different medium than I’m used to. With jewelry, I work with metals and stones, so it was very exciting to me to be able to explore all these other tactile elements and bring inspiration from all over the place – whether that be a painting, the fabric on a sofa, or a photo from the ‘70s. With both clothing and jewelry design you do get to play with texture and contrast and color but how you approach them is wildly different, I had a blast!

RTR: We know you love them all, but which styles from the collection are your favorites?

PL: That’s honestly really hard for me to answer because each dress serves a different purpose and you’d wear them for different occasions. I love the lace pieces a lot, I think the ornate details turned out so beautifully. The Tan Side Tie Apron Dress (launching later this summer!) is also a really special piece.

RTR: What are your favorite ways to style your collection? Where would you wear this collection?

PL: I like things that are unexpected and play with contrasts, so I’d definitely pair the lace dresses with a chunky belt, cool sunglasses, some masculine boots like Doc Martins, and funky socks. I like things to feel feminine and tough at the same time. For me, it’s all about proportion, like soft fabrics accessorized with edgier metal and leather accents.

I’d wear this collection honestly everywhere and anywhere – there’s a style for every occasion. You can easily dress them up and down depending on the accessories and shoes. I designed with Summer in mind, but you can easily take these styles into Fall and Winter by layering a long sleeved turtleneck underneath or throwing a chunky cardigan on top.

RTR: Why are you so excited to be collaborating with Rent the Runway?
PL: As a designer who’s focused on sustainability, I am very excited to be partnering with Rent the Runway because I know the pieces in this collection will not go to waste. They will be reworn and appreciated over and over again by so many different women and won’t end up in a landfill. I really like the circularity of that and it’s really the only way that I’d feel comfortable creating a collection of clothing.

Explore the Pamela Love Collection – Only Available on Rent the Runway!