How did you become interested in fashion design?
My fascination with fashion started when my Nan began teaching me how to sew at the age of five. She instilled in me a strong appreciation for traditional craftsmanship and a deep love of creativity and self-expression. The early exposure to the tactile world of fabrics and threads in her sewing room accelerated my desire to work in the fashion industry, and I began interning in Australian fashion houses from as young as fourteen. I cannot remember a single day in my life where I haven’t been sewing or sketching designs.
What do you think are the most important skills for a fashion designer?
I believe it is important to understand foundational garment construction. When you appreciate the craft and understand its complexities, you can explore creatively, deconstruct to reconstruct, and develop something that bares authentic expression. You are not replying on trends to design for you, you are free to create from the heart.
What's your process for designing a new collection?
Designing a collection is a very grounding experience. We begin the process by reflecting on art, music and film that inspires us and gradually build a mood board that fills an entire studio wall. As our vision begins to form, we explore textiles and colours that resonate with us. We journey into age-old techniques as we begin to contextualise them into contemporary creations before leveraging innovative technologies such as CLO3D and StyleCAD to develop our concepts into samples.
How do you choose colors for your designs?
House of Campbell has become widely known for its dreamy yet striking color palettes. Colors are very emotional elements, and I am typically drawn to romantic hues and that make me feel something immediately when I see them. As we explore fabrications in the sourcing process certain colors will often stand out to us and our palette will form harmoniously without overthinking.
How do you balance creativity with wearability in your designs?
House of Campbell, at its core, exists to balance creativity and wearability. We marry couture with prêt-à-porter fashion to create something daring, intricate and indelible that can be worn and cherished in everyday occasions. Our collections explore expression to its fullest, offering pieces that are unique statements, and yet every piece is designed with comfort in mind to empower people to move confidently and effortlessly.
