“We’re a global brand that is bringing our special kind of magic to every corner of mother earth. Our beautiful wholesalers are an extension of our big CAMILLA tribe,” says 45-year-old Camilla. The designer sees her business as very much an inclusive worldwide community and talks disarmingly of the CAMILLA customer as her “tribe” and staff as “retail angels” to reinforce this sense of belonging and connectivity. It’s no wonder the brand was able to pivot successfully during the pandemic to grow its digital footprint, creating a new Facebook forum for customers, offering live yoga classes and styling sessions and even branching into TikTok. For her new collection, Camilla pays homage to England, inspired by her travels – pre- pandemic – throughout the country and drawing on all its “mad eccentricities from the posh aristocrats and dames to rockers and royals and counter-culture icons”. Married to Welsh musician and artist, JP Jones, and mother to three-year-old daughter, Luna, Camilla tells MilliOnAir about stepping out of her comfort zone, overcoming breast cancer and designing clothes that make women feel good about themselves.
The 2021 high summer collection has a strong rock and roll vibe – what was the inspiration behind it? “Each and every one of my collections is born out of my travel experiences. I immerse myself in other countries and cultures, which become a well of inspiration for my original designs. Then, as an artist, the clothes become the canvas where my creativity runs riot. “My current collection is an homage to England, launched under the moniker, The Mad Manor. This was my first travel collection in quite a while and the excitement of being on the road again was really next level. Honestly, my team and I were like a bunch of crazy kids let loose, running amok with wild abandon soaking up all the majesty and magic England has to offer. “Seriously, we explored it all. Soaked it all in. We roamed the historic palaces; got our groove on in wild inner London, and ambled through the peaceful countryside. Some of our most inspirational playgrounds were the museums, galleries, antique fairs and vintage shows and, of course, all the architectural marvels. “The Mad Manor was such a joyful baby born out of this fabulous, newfound freedom. We so loved bringing all these social worlds together in a collection which is a definition of our take on English culture. It’s everything
we love about England, all wrapped up in its colours, flavours, music, art and traditions.”
How has the coronavirus pandemic impacted your label? “Wow! What a ride it’s been! Where do I start? Who could have imagined the chaos this pandemic has caused? At the end of the day, CAMILLA is a feel-good brand that shines, even in the darkest times. Because of COVID we pretty much had to throw everything up in the air and reimagine every corner of the business. I guess the silver lining of this craziness is that it forced us out of our comfort zone. “Team energy is the heartbeat of my brand. We’re one big juicy creative collective. We’re resilient. Nothing, not even COVID, could break our spirit and determination. Everyone moved mountains to try and adapt to these new circumstances and ways of working. I'm so lucky to be holding hands with such a dynamic and talented group of warriors. “While we’ve always had a thriving online business, the biggest change is how much emphasis we now have on digital. We had to think about how we could continue to engage our customers who couldn’t go into our boutiques. We've managed to build on what was already there to create an even more approachable and personal online purchase voyage.”
M illi O n A ir magazine
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