I recently caught up my good friend and up and coming designer Oliver Camerino in his East London pad. As we shared a bottle of Pinot I decided this was the ideal time to find out what inspires him to create his amazing pieces and try to work out his crazy schedule....
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1) How do you describe your look?
a blend between casual and formal, Jeans most of the time but also a nice sweater and t's or a shirt... shoes are very important (can't seem to find the right ones in the shops...) they can make a look more sophisticated or take it down..
Colour wise... Black is a colour for me, my favourite... but I like to combine it with a bit of burgundy or in the summer you may see me wearing pink and grey :)
2) Who do you design for? Do you have a type of woman in mind when your working on collections?
So far I have produced my graduate collection (a mix between film noir and breakfast at tiffany's) and during my years as a fashion student I interned for a couple of high end (read very expensive) luxury brands. I guess I grow up with a very feminine idea of beauty, small waists and fitted garments in silk but combined with leather or technical textiles to update it. I like to imagine what a old time diva like Audrey Hepburn or a young Marlene Dietrich would like to wear if she had to attend an event in 2013....
It's very important to know who you are designing for, not only from a business point of view but also to keep focused on a specific direction and if you have to many ideas, well, you can always keep them on a side and use them for your next collection...
Although it's impossible to design something that would appeal to anyone, if you go classic... well you'll always find someone to wear your designs...
3) You have a piece coming up in Paper magazine, how does it feel to have your work published so soon after finishing your degree?
It's actually overwhelming. Possibly it's the next best thing after showing at graduate fashion week in 2013. It's part of your dreams, one of the things you always wanted to do, so when you finally get there for the first time, it's simply amazing... the only problem is that once you have done it, and felt so high, it's hard to go back to reality, you are left wanting more and more, it's addictive.
It's also a learning process. and you are scared, scared that things can go wrong or because the moment other people are involved in it, you are not in full control of it. it's important to get the right person, being a mentor or a stylist, that you can trust. It's also a surprise. you give your clothes to someone and then wait weeks or longer to see a few pictures, not knowing what to expect. I love my pictures and i am very happy with the editorial.. in a way it helps you to see your work from a fresh prospective and may even give you knew ideas.
4) What has been your best inspiration to date?
It definitely was a personal experience, that is what would set you apart. in my case, it was the strong emotions I felt during a long distance relationship, feeling like i was torn between two worlds. But designing a collection is such a long process that by the time you have finished your vision has changes, because you have changed... It's important not to be stubborn and make changes if it feels like the right thing to do. you may imagine something in your mind but once it's done you may not like the result so you end up scraping what you thought was going to be your best piece you have been working on for months and do something completely out of the blu, and totally different.. but your original concept is buried inside of it, deep down and only you know that.
5) What has been your best piece to work on?
A winter coat. simply a coat. When I was told that I would have to design a winter collection for my final project I was quite disappointed. I have always done little cocktail dresses and I was angry about the idea of covering them with outerwear... but eventually I got to love that first coat. It was very me, black, elegant, a blend of wool and cashmere... very tailored but also very girly, going into a 50's silhouette. I wanted to make something a woman would wear and feel warm and cuddled.. I think I did. when the model put in on for the first photo shoot she really loved it.. and I did too...
6) If you could collaborate with ANYONE (past or present) who would you choose?
It would have been amazing to work with Hubert de Givenchy. I just love his designs. they way he dreamed of women and made them feel..
There are many other brands i would love to collaborate with, not much because I like their designs, as I have my own point of view, but just because it's simply fascinating to see how they produce something. During my post grad at Central St. Martins I had to research a lot on Dior and I got my hands on a video of the atelier during the production of a couture piece. the number of people working on it, the passion, the old technique that went into a piece.. It was like looking at the sunset for the first time.
7) What's next for the Camerino Machine?
It's very hard to say. I have been working of some freelance projects, ending up in costume production, a total surprise. But once again I learnt a lot from it. I would like to do more but I am also looking at a much bigger project and I am preparing a business plan right now. Stay tuned!
