Zella Day X Cleobella: Behind the Scenes

Jun 28, 2016

 

I’m passionate about inspiring others to speak their truth and connect with their authentic self.  When I met Zella Day years ago, I was instantly drawn to this beautiful soul.  She’s so real, so honest, so comfortable in her own skin; I believe that she could be the voice of the new generation, inspiring others to express themselves authentically.  I’m in awe of her art, and it’s really a dream come true to co-design a collection for Revolve with this beautiful, creative, and passionate woman.  I’m blessed to call Zella a dear friend and we are so excited to share this creative project we’ve been working on for the last few months!

 

Inspired by the wild & free aesthetic of the 1960’s and 70’s, we infused Zella’s Southwestern roots from growing up in Arizona.  For this collaboration, Zella brought in some of her favorite pieces from her personal vintage collection, and we drew inspiration from our mutual love of 60’s and 70’s style.  The “Jane” Dress is a re-invention of the iconic Jane Birkin crochet dress that we’ve adored for years now.  The Stevie Skirt is one of Zella’s favorite pieces to wear on and offstage and channels the creative energy of Stevie Nicks.  The Mustang Suede Jacket features a hand-beaded evil eye with Zella’s lucky number “13,” which she has tattooed on her finger.  What I love most about these details are that, like vintage clothing, they carry on the soul and energy of the experiences that came before, the experiences or memories that fuel these designs.  I hope that each Bella who wears a piece from this collection can feel that soul, and use the energy of Zella’s music, or her lucky number 13, or Stevie’s stage presence, or Jane’s demure sensuality - to find the confidence to live their truth and express themselves freely.
 
Big Kiss to all the creative souls involved who help make this collection come to life!
  

 

 

 Zella and her team shot the campaign images in Sedona, Arizona, close to Zella's hometown.  Zella's southwestern roots influenced several designs in the collection. 

 

  

 

 

I love these polaroids from our party during Coachella.  The samples from the collection had just arrived a few days before, and we were so excited to see the designs come to life for the first time.  We played dress up in our room with Zella's girlfriends- there's no better way to test quality than trying everything on with your crew! 

 

 

Seeing Zella perform at Coachella this year was amazing.  Watching her evolve into the musician and artist she is today has been so incredible, so seeing her on stage at one of the world's best festival was a surreal experience!  

 

 

   A behind the scenes look at Zella and I designing the collection.  We pulled inspiration from the Southwestern landscape, vintage clothing, and archive photos of style icons from the 60's and 70's. 

   

  Zella onstage wearing the Stevie Skirt. 

 

 

 

 Zella and I have both been obsessed with this photo of Jane Birkin for ages.  The 'Jane' Dress was inspired by this iconic shot.

 

 

 

 

 Zella backstage at Coachella wearing the Sedona Set.  

 

 

 Zella's lucky number, '13' made its way onto the Mustang Suede Jacket through hand beaded details. 

 

 

 Photos by @saameulrichard

 Follow @zelladay on instagram & her website.

View the lookbook here.