Tyler Ellis’ sartorial journey has been a lifetime in the making. Born in Los Angeles in 1984 to legendary designer Perry Ellis and NBC executive Barbara Gallagher, Tyler lost her father to complications from AIDS when she was just eighteen months old, a profound loss that left her without personal memories of him but with an enduring connection to his spirit. Surrounded by stories of his creativity and vision, she grew up with a deep awareness of his legacy, which nurtured her own instinctive bond to design. “After researching his life and hearing stories from my mom and his peers, I see so many similarities between us,” Tyler reflects. “He was intensely dedicated to his craft but valued family, friends, and life’s simple joys above all else, qualities I find innate in myself.”
Following her graduation from Boston University, Tyler moved to New York and began her career under Michael Kors, where she discovered a grounded and human side of fashion. Travel soon awakened her entrepreneurial instincts: seeing the same luxury brands carried everywhere, she envisioned a collection of handbags with the craftsmanship of the grandes maisons but the individuality of a boutique brand.
Tyler's Story
“Reflecting back, starting the company was a life-altering event. I felt I needed to earn my last name, not just use it.”
In 2011 she launched her line, initially under the name Tyler Alexandra, using her middle name. By 2017, after years of refining her designs and cultivating a close partnership with the artisans, she finally felt ready to embrace her heritage, introducing her namesake brand, Tyler Ellis, marking the debut of the new label.
Continuing her artisanal journey, Tyler, her husband Ben, and their son FitzHarold relocated to Florence in 2023 to deepen their connection to the region’s centuries-old tradition of craftsmanship. Immersing herself in the heart of Italian artistry allowed Tyler to work even more closely with the artisans who bring her vision to life. In 2025, she took the definitive step of acquiring her own atelier, cementing her commitment to preserving and advancing traditional Italian craft. For Tyler, the pursuit has always been to create true luxury, a standard that cuts no corners and embraces the painstaking details that may appear effortless in the finished piece but in reality demand extraordinary skill.
“Each piece embodies my philosophy of true luxury, where no corners are cut, and what appears simple is, in fact, incredibly complex.”
Her atelier is not a typical assembly-line factory; it is a collective of gifted artisans, each with rare expertise, who work in harmony to bring her visions to life. What emerges are objects of quiet complexity, where simplicity at first glance belies the intricacy and artistry within. This dedication to honoring craftsmanship extends beyond her own collections. From her Florentine atelier, Tyler not only shapes each design with precision and reverence but also channels her commitment to safeguarding artisanal heritage into the wider fashion community.
As a founding member of the U.S. Fashion Trust and a patron of the British Fashion Council, she champions emerging talent and advocates for the preservation of skills that define true luxury, ensuring they endure for generations to come.
“My atelier is not an assembly line, but a collective of master artisans workingtogether to bring my visions to life.”
