Swedish Empire Lines: Camilla Wellton

History and nature seem to meet and combine in Camilla Wellton’s new designs presented during the latest Stockholm Fashion Week.

During an event that combined fashion, photography, music and dance, Wellton showcased a capsule collection of coats and jackets and her Spring/Summer 2010 collection, while also launching her first accessory line.

The Swedish designer’s S/S 2010 collection features outfits in soft nuances such as beige and cream in which almost imperceptible asymmetrical cuts are used to create movement, while Wellton’s black jackets and coats are characterised by her precise silhouettes and details that call to mind Oriental inspirations, such as ample kimono-like sleeves, and historical costumes.

The latter are echoed in the curving front edges, long tightly fitted sleeves or three quarter length sleeves with narrow turned-back cuffs in which the classic Rococo triple-sleeve ruffle transforms into a layered petal-like motif.

High-waisted empire lines, favoured by Wellton in her dresses, coats and cropped jackets are often used to give an elegant silhouette to the designs.

Question: What did you enjoy best about the latest edition of Stockholm Fashion Week?
Camilla Wellton: I loved every minute of the event, even though I hardly had any time to sleep for a week while preparing my own exhibition and catwalk show. A friend from Swedish publication Camino Magazine suggested me to go to the ‘Fashion Forecast’ event, a seminar on ecology, conscious fashion consumers and the responsibilities of the fashion industry. It was extremely interesting: the main topics touched important areas and proved of vital importance for the fashion professionals sitting in the audience. The speakers raised engaging questions about the priorities that really guide the choices we make and how important it is to take care of our planet for future generations.
 
Question: You launched your collection during a special event that featured an exhibition and a live band and dancers performing: what inspired you to arrange such an event?
Camilla Wellton: The people who organised the show for the previous season worked for a long time and when the event took place it was all about loud music and models walking very quickly down the runway. Everything was over in just ten minutes and, soon after, everybody left. I didn’t want this to happen again, but wanted people to bring back home something special. It was a very successful event in the end. The people at Ateljé Ciresia, the gallery where my event took place, offered great support. Live band Bernadette improvised a sort of jazzy-loungey-tribal mix of tracks that went down rather well with the audience; make-up and hair artist Josefina Zarmén came up from Gothenburg for my show and did a great job with the models and the finale by Stockholm Tango and the live band accompanying them was sensually moving. It was exciting to see a room full of journalists and bloggers from all over Europe.

Question: How many pieces did you show from your S/S 2010 collection?

Camilla Wellton: First I showed seven items for the “Coats and Jackets“ exhibition - two jackets and five coats to be precise. On the gallery walls we hung blown up photographs of my new collection. I showed the entire S/S 2010 collection that includes 12 pieces plus a small collection of leather bags. The whole collection is going towards a refreshing direction since the fabrics chosen are characterised by softer nuances. The Spring/Summer collection is going to feature some ecological fabrics as well and customers will be able to choose the designs they prefer in organic fabrics, though three or four looks – among them the “Venus Spencer” and “Venus Dress” in a creamy white hemp-silk mix – will be available only in eco-fabrics.

Question: What inspired the S/S 2010 collection?

Camilla Wellton: It was influenced by a well-being feeling raised in my body by daily hours of Yoga during Spring and Summer. So themes such as fluidity, relief and hopes in future possibilities inform the collection. The rest came during the pattern cutting phase and fittings on myself in the middle of sleepless but very creative nights.

Question: You also presented for the first time a series of bags - the "Shivago Collection" - what inspired it?
Camilla Wellton: Everything started from an old style doctor’s bag made in England my father gave me. It was big and beautiful in dark brown leather and it inspired me the “Henriette” and “Oscar” wallets, the “Otto” laptop carrier and the “Charlene” travel bag for ladies, a crossover between an oversized bag and a suitcase.

Photographs by Emma Jönsson Dysell.

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