SUCCESS BY DESIGN
NEVER SAY NEVER, SAYS THE KAFTAN QUEEN WHO DARED TO BELIEVE IN HERSELF
Renowned Australian designer Camilla Franks cannot believe it has been 16 years since her bohemian kaftans swept the style set.
She prayed her first theatrical showcase at the Intercontinental in Sydney would change her life – and it did. Now, A-list celebrities including Oprah, Beyonce and JLo wear the eponymous label and the Bondi creative has become a national icon.
But Camilla says “success doesn’t come without a darker side and the past few years have been challenging”.
“It has been a beautiful, colourful and slightly terrifying roller-coaster,” she laughs.
In 2018 alone, Camilla witnessed the exponential growth of her multimillion-dollar business, gave birth to her daughter Luna Gypsy and danced with the devil of breast cancer.
The kaftan queen says the worst of the storm has passed and she is counting down the days until 2021 – because it will be a year to remember.
Camilla says she will be officially walking down the aisle to meet her long-time love, Welsh artist and musician JP Jones.
“In 2017 he proposed to me up a mountain in Wales in a blizzard,” Camilla says.
“Every time we’ve tried to set a date, something gets in the way – pregnancy, cancer and COVID.
“But 2021 here we come, baby.” Camilla and JP’s story reads like a Nicholas Sparks novel. They met and dated as young travellers in London in the late ’90s. When Camilla’s visa ran out she returned to Australia but they always kept in touch. The flame flickered for 15 years until they eventually reunited in 2015.
Camilla says the couple’s world was complete after the birth of their daughter, Luna Gypsy.
“She has brought unparalleled happiness and a new way of being into my world,” she says.
“Luna bear is now two years old … she’s funny, curious and a mixture of JP and I. She definitely has our creative genes.”
Reminiscing on Luna’s life prompts the designer to think about her journey with stage three breast cancer.
Camilla says chemotherapy, a double mastectomy and shaving her waist-long auburn hair started a whole new journey of self-discovery.
“I’m so grateful to live in Australia and therefore have access to the best treatment and support – I may not be having this interview today if I lived elsewhere,” she says.
“Creative visualisation was a huge part of this journey for me and I used to make chemo my friend. I knew I was in the fight of my life so I had to focus on keeping my mind and body strong.
“It’s been in my darkest and most challenging moments in my life that the best change and growth actually happens.
“If cancer taught me one thing, it’s to surrender and let go of whatever life brings up. As humans, we all want to control … but we need to find strength and we need to learn how to swim with the tide.”
Camilla’s bold positivity has become something of a signature, not just for her, but for her brand.
“The greatest feeling as a designer is seeing a woman unleash the goddess inside when she puts on a CAMILLA,” she says.
“It’s an intimate and moving experience that brings so much joy and sometimes happy tears.”
Camilla says she will never conform to the rules of fashion because she won’t trade authenticity for approval.
“The fashion industry has come a long way in my 16 years but when I first started out I encountered ageism and shapism, which naturally led women to feeling intimidated and disempowered to express themselves,” she says.
“It is such bulls* and I’m glad the industry has embraced a much more forward thinking attitude towards the wonder of the human body.”
She envisages CAMILLA women as girls with a gypsy heart dancing barefoot in the sand in a flowing kaftan, the glamazons in a mini dress sipping champagne at the bar, the mothers revelling in her own femininity and the grandmothers who are old enough and wise enough to do exactly as they please.
“When I am creating a new collection, I want my designs to allow them to feel empowered, confident and alive,” she says.
“Fashion should be all about this, as it’s celebrating a woman’s unique identity.”
Since day one, travel has been at the beating heart of the CAMILLA brand.
Rather than a vision board, Camilla travels across the world, immerses herself in different cultures and returns to her Sydney office with around 30,000 photos.
The poetic collision of imagery and personal experiences translates into her prints for each collection.
Camilla says India is a pivotal moment and magnetic force in her brand’s story.
In the last 13 years she has opened five factories and employed 1000 artisans there. India has become her second home.
But her most inspirational venture to date was becoming “one of the people” in Africa. “On each trip I immerse myself in their world and all it represents: music, food, colours and daily life. Africa solidified the importance of community, connection and love.
“As a designer, the colours, textures, and beading are like nothing I’ve ever seen. So rich, vivid and intricate.
“I tried to capture this in my previous collection, but I would love nothing more than to soak in the inspiration again.”
Since Camilla was a young girl, creativity and play have always lit a fire within her.
As the acclaimed designer reminisces on her past, she attributes every colourful life experience, especially her acting career, to the success of her brand. During the early stages of Camilla’s theatre career she hand-crafted costumes to wear between scenes.
“As time went on I would have people in fashion calling me asking me if they could come to my house to buy my costumes and rehearsal gear,” she says. “It was exciting and I could actually pay my rent. I had absolutely no idea what I was doing but I had a ‘screw it, let’s do it!’ attitude.”
Camilla admits she was terrified and lonely as she schlepped her kaftan collections around, season after season, rejection after rejection.
“I was turned away a lot,” says the designer who now has 22 boutiques, an online store and jaw-dropping international stockists. “When you put every part of your heart and soul into something, it’s easy to fall into the trap of feeling like a failure, especially when you’re a creative.
“Courage is not without fear, but the willingness just to show up no matter how you feel inside makes us a little bit stronger.
“I refused to accept rejection and kept walking down my path of truth and created a brand founded on this.
“The result is the CAMILLA brand today, the wholesalers who stock it, and loyal tribe of customers who wear it.”
Camilla says designing her opulent collections is an 18-month ceremony.
“So much love, passion and care goes into honouring the country that inspired us.
“Over this time our office becomes a working canvas, with textiles, clothes, photos and inspiration-boards in every corner.
“We will often sit late into the night on the floor mapping out the collection and our vision.”
In recent years the brand has expanded to men’s and kids’ clothing, accessories and luxury homewares.
As the coronavirus crisis sweeps the world, Camilla says she has been inspired to add a “fur baby” collection to her empire.
The inspiration behind the range is Lily, a beautiful dog she has been fostering from Pound and Paws and Pound Patrol Rescue animal shelter during the pandemic.
Camilla’s philanthropic heart extends well beyond her Woollahra home.
She says that from the beginning she has been compelled to engage in charity and give back to the community.
Her label is involved with UNIFEM and The Hunger Project’s Unleashed Women’s Initiative. Camilla’s brand and tribe exclusively funds The Butterfly Effect program to help educate and train 1000 young women in Bihar in India around issues affecting their health, freedom and safety.
Camilla says that after a trip to Jodhpur in India a few years ago she understands that every dollar can turn lives around.
“So far, we’ve had great results – seen girls going back to school and saying no to childhood marriage,” she says.
“My brand is bigger than fashion. It’s about the full vision with heart … that every female is entitled to education, protection and empowerment to be their free self.”
Camilla’s next collection is dedicated to strong women who have inspired her over the years and she hopes the next generation of designers chase their dreams, just like her.
Her advice to those who want to break into the industry is to hustle, keep it simple and forget business plans, hire smartly, stay true to yourself and remember to step back every so often and realise how far you have come.