Los Angeles based label that makes ‘Anti-Fashion’

Growing up in Crestone, Colorado, a small mountain town of 200 people, you could say that designer Ella Mae was not raised in a stylish environment. However, at the age of 5 he already knew that he was destined to become a fashion designer.

“I always felt like I was too big for Crestone,” she told Ujo Shop. “I always wanted to make crazy clothes. I’ve been obsessed with fashion for as long as I can remember.” She would come to school – in her class of two – wearing bright clothes. Eventually, Mae’s mother taught her to sew, and from there, she devoted herself to her design pursuits.

The budding designer’s first official step in building his career was attending the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) to hone his skills. He says: “RISD completely changed me and shaped the art in my mind. “I was always dedicated to wanting to sew and wanting to create, but then I think I came out of RISD knowing, ‘Okay, this is what I want to create that shows me.’

When he graduated in 2021, he knew he was ready to launch his own brand. That first year, he ran his brand while working as an assistant designer at Simkhai. In 2022, he committed to running Ella Mae full time.

The Los Angeles-based label is known for its “women’s performance” codes, Mae explained, adding, “I feel like we have signatures now that really strengthen us.” Said signatures include romantic ruffles, large gathered hemlines and versatile use of twist ties.

“Our client is a woman who wants to feel in control of that woman and accept meaningful love,” he said of his client. But that should not be confused with Ella Mae which caters only to women: The brand has attracted a wide range of customers, from the old to the young, from men to the unborn, from city dwellers to suburbanites.

For Mae, creating an inclusive, safe environment has been exactly what she’s been aiming for since the brand’s inception. “When I started doing Ella Mae, I really wanted to do a place that was almost anti-fashion,” she explains. “We’re kind to people. We include people. There’s no need for overcrowding and chain-smoking cigarettes. I wanted to create a peaceful, rational place.”

That ethos also extends to Ella Mae’s “world first” philosophy. Growing up off the grid in rural Colorado, surrounded only by nature, it was an evolution of eco-consciousness to extend into Mae’s art. He says: “I have these strong roots inside me. “I used to play in the river and get muddy. My parents built both of our houses. It is natural that my work is related to the world.”

In the application, Ella Mae mainly uses natural fibers such as cotton, as well as dead fabrics. The label also uses natural dyes – which come from rust, plant roots and food waste – during the production of the fabrics. “[How I view] nature is almost very spiritual to me,” says Mae. “It’s what we come from, and my job is to give back to the earth.” Each garment is produced in small batches locally in Los Angeles.

Even when it comes to inspiration, Mae draws from nature. Besides referencing vintage every now and then, he tries to avoid seeing what other designers are doing. Instead, he will turn to natural things like the movement of a tree or the way the leaves fall, and see how that can shape the garment.

The big question that keeps changing in Mae’s mind is how to scale the brand without sacrificing its “world first” ethos. Ella Mae has never mass-produced her clothes — the largest order she received was for 500 pieces, with Mae and her assistants hand-dying everything — with no plans to enter that production model. Mae firmly believes that the current small label collection model can still successfully handle wholesale demand.

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“We’ve done wholesale in the past and I think I’m open to continuing with it,” he said. “Scale is fine as long as it’s done carefully. We can always wholesale continuously as long as we choose the right partners for the right purposes.”

Meanwhile, Mae was using gangs as a strategy to grow. He’s able to bring his clothes in front of new audiences and let current fans try them on IRL, all the while producing them in limited editions. On June 5, the label held its first NYC pop-up, which Mae recalls was a resounding success.

“We had record sales and I was like, ‘This is amazing,'” she said. “But it’s not unbelievable in terms of sales – it was the fact that we could come from somewhere else and people would come out, know about the product and be happy about the product.”

One of Ella Mae’s distinct competitive edges is that, despite its small-batch production and organic fabrics, its offerings are affordably priced. Historically, many smaller, tighter labels have leaned on the more expensive side. And even though Ella Mae is in today’s market – her most expensive item is $450 – she still sells clothes for less than $100.

Mae’s decision to launch the price range was to attract new customers who might be hesitant to invest hundreds of dollars in an unusual product. “Having certain products at a good price is key for me,” he said. “I’ve sacrificed a little on the edges, but that’s okay. Buying an entry-level piece allows people to see the brand, like it and maybe invest in a more expensive garment down the line.”

Of course, Ella Mae’s custom-order business also offers room for financial flexibility. “Right now, we have this cool matrix of internal cultures, made to order and production,” he adds. You’ve got a steady clientele that likes one-of-a-kind pieces.

The label has also caught the attention of fashion celebrities. Recently, Barbara Palvin attended the 2026 Cannes Film Festival wearing a coffee-dyed chiffon dress from her Spring 2026 collection. That red carpet look was pure futuristic, says Mae. Stylist Marc Eram originally drew the dress and made it for a different customer who didn’t end up wearing it. “Marc had it on his style rack and Barbara came by, saw it on the rack, liked it and asked to wear it,” Mae said. “All the stars aligned; she was made to wear them.”

Palvin’s appearance won Ella Mae, and other brands reached out for collaboration opportunities. It leaves Mae excited to see what awaits us with her upcoming collection for Spring 2027. “I’m very excited when I think about who can wear this piece or who can look the best in this piece because the shows are special and fun,” she says.

As she focuses on developing her collection, Mae also works to land on the New York Fashion Week calendar. His long-term goal is to open a permanent storefront.

“I’ve been trying to be very true to what I want to do, what I want to see and what I think the world needs to see more of,” he said. “As long as I make a point of authenticity and happiness, then my pieces will reflect that.”

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