Designer Profile: Lotta Stensson

Fashion's in her DNA, she can't help it

By Ashley Mediano
Published: Dec 02, 2007

Everyone remembers the photos of Angelina, Brad and Maddox frolicking on the beach in their first appearance together as the Jolie-Pitts, right? The sexy black dress that Angie wore to her beachside coming-out was the work of Lotta Stensson, whose sassy jersey dresses quickly sell-out at her Melrose boutique to other A-list celebrities, such as Beyoncé and Madonna. The talented designer admits to briefly fighting her family’s penchant for fashion design by choosing to study acting for three years and temporarily attending art school (both mother and grandmother were famous Swedish fashion designers in New York).

Yet, a fated trip to NYC’s Fashion Institute of Technology made everything perfectly clear. Stensson was captivated by the prestigious school and applied immediately after visiting. Armed with a head full of ideas and a few familiar sewing machines after graduation, Stensson began her wildly successful career in a tiny Manhattan apartment at the age of 25 and simply dubbed her collection “Lotta.” Comprised of jackets, dresses, tops and more, her elegant garments were quickly scooped up by impressive stores like Barneys and Intermix, and now, years later, she has a flagship boutique in the hip Melrose Heights section of Los Angeles to call her own.

Despite her East Coast upbringing, Stensson confesses that she is more about the “sand, sun, and palm trees” in Los Angeles and is thrilled with the stylish and strong women she calls clients. Her designs are flirty, feminine, and an extension of who she is as a person. “It’s all about understated elegance at the end of the day,” Stensson emphatically declares. Lotta fans can look forward to a completely revamped website with improved shopping capabilities in the near future and a signature Lotta perfume line that is currently in the works.

Ashley Mediano has worked as a freelance reporter for US Weekly and Los Angeles Magazine and is an LA native. A fashion and style fanatic at heart, she has a serious obsession with Marc Jacobs, and if given the chance to pitch a tent in his boutique on Melrose and stay the night she probably would—with green tea and a BlackBerry in hand.

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