Meet Zella Day, Small-Town Girl Turned Indie-Pop Darling
PHOTOGRAPHED BY JEROME CORPUZ
Fashion Stylist: Jaime Kay Waxman
Hair: Peter Matteliano for Oribe
Makeup: Allie Smith using Laura Mercier
1/7"The fact that songs like ‘Hypnotic’ are making their way around the world is some kind of magic,” says singer-songwriter Zella Day, of the hit single that catalyzed her rising stardom.
Romper, $645. M Missoni, NYC. Under Our Sky necklace, $120. shoplatitude.com. Her own rings. On right wrist: The 2 Bandits cuff, $148. the2bandits.com. On left wrist: Her own bracelets.
2/7The 20-year-old from Arizona released her buzzy debut album, Kicker, in June, but she got her start performing in her family’s coffee shop as a kid. “It was the only place in town with live music, so I grew up in an environment of musicians,” she explains. “I fell in love with the stage, as small as it was, at an early age.”
Gucci jacket and top, $1,400, gucci.com. Express jeans, $80, express.com. Her own septum ring and rings. Gucci belt, $420. Select Gucci stores.
3/7It’s safe to say Zella knows who she is. Thanks to her roots, there’s a hint of homegrown humble pie infused into her otherwise sexy sound.
4/7She cites the bewitching Stevie Nicks and bohemian Joni Mitchell as sources of inspiration, which is unsurprising for a budding artist whose voice and style already harness a strong undercurrent of natural-born indentity.
Current/Elliott dress, $998 currentelliott.com
5/7Like many of her idols, Zella prefers writing music in isolation, so she’s quickly learning how to juggle her method with her growing celebrity and busy tour schedule. “Because I’m in a different hotel room every night, it’s hard for me to feel comfortable enough to just let go and create like nobody’s listening. There’s always somebody listening on the road. You always have company,” Zella says, proving she’s less like the typical music-scene millennial and more like an old soul who appreciates the smaller things in life.
Red Valentino top, $695, Red Valentino, Las Vegas. Frame skirt, $249, Neiman Marcus. Her own septum ring and rings. Pamela Love feather cuff, $250.
6/7These days, she’s living with fellow recording artist Garrett Borns (aka Børns) in Silver Lake, California. “I moved here because I needed to be closer to the music, and ever since then everything has changed on pace for the better,” Zella says, sounding prepared for a fast track that’s nothing short of inevitable.
Marc by Marc Jacobs jacket, $498, Marc Jacobs stores. Marc by Marc Jacobs jeans, $628, Nordstrom. Her own septum ring, bracelets and rings. Pamela Love feather cuff, $250. Paul Smith boots, $995, Paul Smith, NYC.
7/7With her strong sense of envy-inducing style and indie-infused pop anthems, she is sure to secure a place of heavy rotation on all of your future playlists.
