Camilla and Marc is a creation of brother-sister team Camilla Freeman-Topper and Marc Freeman. Now in its sixth year, Camilla and Marc has become celebrated for an unerring ability to create covetable dresses and exquisite tailoring. The designers have set a benchmark of polished and refined style with garments that are infinitely wearable and effortlessly elegant. Don't be left thinking this is for a prim Upper East Sider, though. The two describe the latest collection as, "sex, skin, and strength."
While the duo shares a similar creative aesthetic, their backgrounds are polar opposites. Camilla completed her fashion design degree at Sydney's Whitehouse Institute of Design in 2003, and was promptly awarded the coveted masters scholarship to the world-renowned Accademia Italiana Arte Moda in Florence. In stark contrast, Marc brings a background in engineering and business to the partnership, having studied a Masters of Commerce and Engineering at the University of NSW.
The process is very collaborative for Camilla and Marc. "I am more socially creative, but all the designs go through him because he has such a great eye. He is a good problem solver, he can see things technically if they are going to work or not," says Camilla of their teamwork. "We have always had a close family life, but if anything this has brought us closer together," she adds.
Camilla and Marc first showed at Australian Fashion Week in 2003, debuting with the Spring/Summer collection, "A Warm Summers Afternoon." The show was an instant success, securing UK super-retailer Selfridges in the label's first season. Camilla and Marc has subsequently shown at Australian Fashion Week seven times and was honored to be offered the coveted opening show in April 2007.
Spring/Summer 2007 also saw the introduction of C&M; Camilla and Marc SWIM. The line reflects the Sydney-based designers' love of the beach and Australian summer. Similar to the main line, SWIM has been designed with a stylish, feminine woman in mind. The first collection was a sweet and flirty mix of leopard prints, polka dots, and bows in flattering offerings. The future for Camilla and Marc holds accessories, handbags, and shoes. "I have always wanted to give people the perfect head-to-toe look without looking like they are dressed head-to-toe in one designer," she explains of her plans for the future.
Camilla and Marc experience consistent editorial support from a range of prestige titles including Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, Russh, Yen, and Madison; and is a personal favorite of celebrities including Kate Bosworth, Elle Macpherson, Kirsten Dunst, Abbie Cornish, Mischa Barton, Paris Hilton, and Rose Byrne.
You can find the label stocked in some of the world's most coveted boutiques and department stores internationally including Net-a-Porter, Elizabeth Charles (NYC), American Rag Cie (Los Angeles), Parlour X (Sydney), Barneys, Myer, Shopbop, Scoop (NYC), and Harvey Nichols Istanbul. 2009 marks an exciting year for the brand as Camilla and Marc opened its first retail boutique and all international markets are growing exponentially, with a strong focus on the United States.
When asked about the difference between American and Australian style, Camilla noted that, "We used to have to change things when we first brought them to the U.S. market from Australia because Australia kind of has this beachy, relaxed vibe and New York, for example, can be a little busy, frenetic. For whatever reason, we don't have to tailor anything to fit the U.S. market specifically any more; the two style cultures have become much more similar." Hopefully this means only more of the rising Aussie designers for us here stateside from now on.
