There’s a little gem tucked into the new Lula - well there are actually a lot of gems but we’re sharing this first:

An interview with Luella Bartley reveals that she’s working on her pre-Spring collection - her first ever pre-collection and an indicator, to retailers, that she’s thinking more seriously about the commercial prospects of her brand.

While runway shows breed excitement and creativity, it’s the pre-collections that actually do best with customers which is why Resort and pre-Fall have become so important the past few seasons. They give designers a chance to transition into new seasons and new ideas without a major production.

And while we love, love, pretty much everything Luella Bartley makes, it’s always been a bit commercially difficult. This pre-spring collection she’s working on could finally be the way to get her clothes to America (without Net-a-Porter’s help).

Accompanying Ellen Von Unwerth pics of her regular Spring 09 collection - after the jump.