Designer to watch – Part. 1 : Camilia Damkjaer

Meeting Camilia Damkjaer at the BFC Showroom during London Fashion Week

Can you introduce yourself?

My name is Camilla Damkjaer. I am a Danish designer based in London. In 2017 I graduated from Royal College of Art and launched my own label in early 2018

What are your main inspirations for this collection?

For Spring-Summer 2019 I have been further exploring the themes & ideals from my MA collection. Through observations of everyday life I have explored the dress codes of modernity – the way jeans take shape during a long stride and how it is reflected within the silhouettes; whilst sun bleached details dictate the graphic nature of a jacket pocket detail.  These nuances of real life inform the physical construction of the garments that further leads to expressions created within print.

What is the SS19 message?

To recognize the beauty of the marks of wear which are transforming garments as a result of many years of use and make them unique to the wearer.

How do you see the future of fashion?

I hope and think that the future of fashion will allow more room for individuality, both in the way that you dress but also the way that designers will work and present. The system of fashion has been dictating a bit too much how we as designers should work to be able to be a part of the industry, but it looks like this could be changing now.

Mix & Match – What song or art piece would you associate to your collection?

For the SS19 collection I have been looking a lot at paintings of Mark Rothko and prints of Edward Munch. The colour-use and layering reminds me of my own way of using colours.

Which event affected you the most this year? – In fashion or in daily news

The one-year anniversary of the fire at Grenfell Tower. I was living with a journalist covering the anniversary and I think the stories she brought home, just really got to me.

What’s next? – After this collection

The next collection!

Best memory you have?

Going camping with my sister and parents when I was a child.

Something unusual / weird you like to do…

Squeeze the tip of my nose with my fingers – I think it somehow relaxes me a bit.

Something people don’t know about you…

I used to play five different instruments.

What is your fashion crush?

It would probably be what Martin Margiela did when he was at Hermes – simply clever.

Favorite place in London?

The east end canal side.

What is the social role of fashion according to you?

For me what is really interesting is when the clothing leaves the designers hands and ends up being a part of someone’s wardrobe. We are extremely good at reading the codes of the clothing we wear and communicate more than we think through the choices of what to put on our bodies. Maybe it is not so much about fashion but more about the choice of garments and how they are kept, worn and put together. Every little detail tells you a bit about that person.

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Credits
Photo: Malin Henningsson
Styling: Leah Jennings
Hair and make-up: Kirstine Engell
Model: Lea Boberg

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