Pamella Roland has had her fair share of New York Fashion Week madness. The veteran designer debuted her first runway show in 2002 and eight years later has become a red-carpet label mainstay. For her nineteenth collection, Roland opted for a presentation versus a runway show at Lincoln Center. We caught up with her on the big day as she prepared for the premiere of Spring 2012. 

Modern art was the season’s inspiration for Roland, who has been on the board of The Whitney Museum of American Art for two years. “Abstract Expressionism from the ’40s, ’50s and ’60s is something I’ve been really interested in lately,” she says. “The clothes are very straight-lined like abstract art.”

Roland arrived at the Lincoln Center Box at 11 AM. “I like having the show earlier otherwise I’ll start getting more anxious nearing the end of the day.”

Roland brought her good friend and fashion photographer Nigel Barker on board as a creative consultant for the Spring 2012 collection. He shot the campaign, look books and the framed photos scattered across the presentation room.

Roland and Barker show off their ad in Women’s Wear Daily.  

Selecting jewelry pieces from Chopard for the presentation.

Makeup artist Matin Maulawizada used modern art as the inspiration for the makeup look: a dramatic, bold eye with Laura Mercier eye liner in Black Ebony and eye shadow in Twinkling Star, keeping lips and cheeks light like watercolors. 

“My family business owns Laura Mercier Cosmetics,” says Roland. “Matin is an amazing artist who we have worked with for many years.”

Models go through a test-run with Roland before changing into their looks. 

“This was our first time working with MKG, who handled the show’s production,” says Roland.

Roland shows us how it’s done. “I’m a total ham,” she says. 

VH1 was one of many media outlets interviewing Roland backstage before the show.

Meet the press.

Roland collaborated with milliner Tonya Gross for the dramatic headwear.

Anticipation grows backstage as show time inches closer. 

Spring 2012 was Roland’s nineteenth fashion show. As a Fashion Week veteran, she says she always reminds herself to stay calm and keep things in perspective. “I’ve raised three teenagers and nothing is harder,” she explained. “I have learned not to stress out.”

Roland’s family always flies out from Grand Rapids, Michigan, to attend her shows. “They want to support me and I am so happy to have them here,” she says. “I’m away quite a bit and they want to see what I’m spending my time on.”

Crowds lined up early outside the Lincoln Center Box to get into the show. “It’s not necessarily cheaper to do a presentation,” says Roland. “But it’s nice because you get different groups and it’s another creative way to show.”

Shooting out some last-minute tweets @pamellaroland as the models line up. 

The calm before the storm: Roland put together 30 looks for the presentation, spotlighted on a framed pedestal for seven-minutes each throughout the show. 

“There are so many people here, but turned out so well!” says Roland.