Most fashion designers who launch an independent label have to struggle to get name recognition. That is not the case with Camilla Thulin, one of Sweden’s best-known designers and style gurus.
I had an opporutninty to chat one-on-one with Camilla on Thursday when she presented her new dress collection, which has a romantic, almost Mediterranean feeling.
Gesturing towards the frilly, short dresses lining the walls of the Mildh Press showroom created by other designers, Camilla explained that people should dress in a manner appropriate to their age: “I don’t want to look like a small child.” She observes that popular labels like Odd Molly seem to target only very young women. The sleeves on several of the dresses in Ms. Thulin’s Spring and Summmer collections extend beyond the elbow, a feature which appeals to mature women.
“This is a new project I started just six months ago,” she explained.
The colorful long frocks by Camilla are intended to be flattering for any female between the ages of 20 and 85. Britney Spears or Lady Gaga will have to look elsewhere for their flashy party princess dresses. Ms. Thulin’s role model, she says, is instead Sophia Loren.
The author of two books on style, Camilla regularly pops up on television commenting on the gowns worn at a Royal wedding or Nobel Prize banquets. Last year, in 2010, she created costumes for four plays performed at Dramaten, the Royal Dramatic Theatre. She also designed sensuous lingerie for many years, and is the person responsible for the outfits worn by the avant-garde pop group Army of Lovers.
Camilla is clear about what she hopes to achieve in her latest endeavor: “My ambition is to recapture traditional femininity.” Photo: Alexander Farnsworth
Scandinavian Fashion 