In an industry where trends come and go, and fashion labels are hot one minute and not the next, camilla & marc, has managed to buck the trend and become one of Australia’s most successful labels here and overseas. Founded by brother and sister duo Camilla Freeman-Topper and Marc Freeman ten years ago, camilla & marc has become a favourite of trend setters such as Kate Bosworth, Lara Bingle, Rose Byrne and Miranda Kerr.
Before starting the brand, Camilla studied as Sydney’s Whitehouse Institute of Design and was awarded a post-graduate scholarship to undertake further training at the Accademia Italiana Arte Moda in Florence. Brother Marc trained as an engineer before teaming up with his sister to create their namesake label.
The label has expanded from clothes into a swimwear line (C & M SWIM) in 2007, and a recently launched diffusion line C&M which is aimed at a younger demographic. They have also expanded their mainline to include denim and accessories. They collaborated with chainstore Portmans to release an exclusive racing inspired capsule collection in 2009, and opened their first flagship store in Sydney in 2009. It seems only fitting that the pair celebrate the 10th anniversary of their label by opening MBFWA, which is where they launched their label in 2003.
Customers can expect lots of layers in the pair’s latest collection, with inspiration taken from the Russian Matryoshka dolls. The new collection is an ode to their last ten years, told from their present perspective. The range is based on a palette of white, acid blue, aqua and pale blue. As with past collections, the pieces feature a range of luxe fabrications such as a bold and graphic jacquard, embossed snakeskin leather, neoprene, wadded satin textures and stretch leather.
Fashion can be a notoriously fickle industry, with brands struggling to achieve longevity. However, through their classic tailoring and quirky twist, there is no doubt that camilla & marc have established themselves as a force to be reckoned with. The secret to the pair’s success is not only their consistently high quality garments, but their design aesthetic which doesn’t see them following trends, but rather, creating garments which stand the test of time.
Image courtesy of Style By Yellow Button
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