Australian Designer Camilla Franks on Her Imaginative Brand CAMILLA and Dream Disney Collab
Australian fashion designer Camilla Franks is known around the world for her unabashedly bold and intricate designs, with each piece from her self-titled brand, CAMILLA, telling its own escapist tale.
Her maximalist prints are truly unmistakable, blending fantasy themes with influences of her global travels to create colorful, eye-catching designs that aren't for the faint of heart. Each of these hand-drawn and -painted prints are created by in-house artists, with every last garment also cut and sewn by hand—and that includes the pieces in the incredible new Disney | CAMILLA Collection, which blends archival Disney designs with CAMILLA's signature style. We had the pleasure of speaking with Camilla herself to learn about everything from her love of fashion to the new collab, and here's what she shared with us.
(Image courtesy of Camilla Franks)
Name: Camilla Franks
IG handle: @camillawithlove
Hometown: Sydney, Australia
Zodiac sign: Pisces ♓️
1. Camilla first became obsessed with style after seeing Olivia Newton-John in Grease.
"When she came on, I couldn't take my eyes off the screen! It was her effortlessly bada** attitude, the sparkle in her eyes as well as her iconic rockstar wardrobe. Later, Liv became a close friend of mine, and I was lucky enough to spend lots of time with her during my breast cancer journey. At a time in my life when I needed a guiding light, Olivia was there. She was my inspiration, always reaching out and checking in even throughout her own battles, which she fought so bravely and with such grace. Her last broadcasted performance was wearing CAMILLA for the Fire Fight concert, and that just encapsulates her. She would do anything to help other people."
-Camilla Franks
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2. For Camilla, fashion truly comes from within.
"Fashion is a feeling and should reflect out what you feel within each passing moment. We dress for the lives we have created, which is why some days you will find me comfortable in a flowing silk when I'm at home or the office. Other days, I'll be cinched at the waist within an inch of my life in a pair of high heels, serving high glamour out at an event! Yin and yang."
-Camilla Franks
(Image courtesy of Camilla Franks)
3. Her go-to outfit when she's on the go is a printed soft suit.
"Conquer the world and look bada** doing it. Or, if I'm in a rush, a killer kaftan."
-Camilla Franks
4. Her brand, CAMILLA, was built on experiencing the unexpected and the unknown.
"I've always been intrigued with venturing off the beaten path with travel as my muse. Travel has always been the inspiration for my creativity, and it's at the heart and soul of every collection.
I've found that by immersing myself in different worlds and cultures it opens up a well of inspiration. It's just a big, beautiful, bottomless pit of print-spiration. Every country I've traveled to has been such a unique and wild experience. Waking up in worlds where we don't often speak the same tongue, but connect through the language of fabrics, textiles, colors, patterns, music and movement. I immerse myself into their world and all it represents. So my prints are literally a diary of my travels, communicating the essence of far-flung destinations, communities and cultures. They are my very special personal journal.
Every intricate detail of these trips is meticulously recorded, and when we get back home, the floor of the huge design space at CAMILLA HQ becomes a giant canvas filled with treasures, photos and inspiration boards. It all comes together like beautiful magic, kind of like a poetic collision of imagery mixed with personal experiences, which each season gives birth to prints."
-Camilla Franks
(Image courtesy of Camilla Franks)
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5. She's received a lot of great advice over the years that have become core to her everyday ethos.
"'Do great work.' The only way to do great work is to love what you do and do what you believe is great. Don't settle—and that applies to all matters of the heart. As with any great relationship in life and love, open hearts and communication are the key. Sometimes it takes work, but it's usually when you get curious that it grows and deepens. Always be present and get curious on the mark you want to make in business. As Steve Jobs said in his Stanford speech, "Stay hungry, stay foolish." Have a disruptive brain when it comes to innovation.
'Be a good leader.' I love Amit Ray's philosophies on mindful management: Great leaders have three things; inner light, inner vision and inner strength. Great leaders know that under the turmoil of chaos and change, there is a beauty of patterns and designs. As leaders, we do like validation, but we must also find our own sense of self-worth and confidence in the work we do and the impact we make in others' lives.
'Use your voice for good.' In a noisy world, it's important to raise your voice only to lift people up. I always wanted CAMILLA to be a symbol of love, joy and inclusivity, for every person who wears us. Our dream is to drive change for future generations and create a brighter future. I'm proud that we're now renowned not just for our products, but for our community: a human collective of all ages, genders, shapes, colors, abilities, lifestyles, faiths and sexualities. I strive to use my voice and our platforms to fortify this community; our family—to share inspiring stories, to educate and encourage action in this world and come together supportively. CAMILLA has long-running charitable partnerships that tackle domestic violence, child marriage, breast cancer, cultural change, ethics and sustainability across the globe, and we are conscious of learning to adapt as the world evolves.
'Be authentic.' At the end of the day, all we have is who we are. I am still that girl who believes in being authentic, in being me, and in me being enough. Yes, I buck the system. I'm a non-conformist, and I still get myself into all sorts of trouble for sticking up for what I believe in. But I will always protect my lane and have the courage to speak my mind and stick to my own convictions. Sometimes that makes for an uncomfortable playground because it can ruffle feathers, but I won't bend my truth to suit others. I believe it's important to advocate for what you believe, while still being open to being changed—to assert your truth and do things your own proven way. That's what I built my brand on, and that's how I'll continue to live my life.
'Be healthy.' To find your balance, build the right team. I'm the ringmaster, conductor and performer, but I'm only one person. Today my team are the heart and soul of the brand, and without them, I'm nothing. I've now got the best brains in the right seats. I believe in hiring way smarter and way brighter than what I am, and that has been my biggest learning—letting go of being a complete control freak.
'Don't make the mistake of trying to wear all hats and burning yourself out.' I got to a point a few years back when my body was crying out for me to slow down, but I didn't listen. I worked 24/7, even with glandular fever. I refused to stop, and this led me to what I call my emotional, spiritual and physical meltdown. It came to a grand crescendo whilst working on a collection in India when I felt a pain in my head and felt my face drop. Next minute, I found myself being raced to hospital and in a MRI with the doctors, fearing I had a stroke. It terrified me. I was lucky it was Bell's palsy, which is a virus of the nervous system. But mentally, I wasn't in a good place
I'd spent so many years running around like a racehorse and I finally had what I like to call an awakening. My nervous system was completely shot and I had hit a wall. I worked out the hard way that working around the clock with no balance catches up to you. I wasn't happy! Now I have learnt to be truly successful, and kind, be surrounded by good people, which has been integral in my journey to be a happier and healthier Milla. I definitely don't get it right all the time, but now I am a much happier and healthier girl.
'Commit.' I love the slogan by Nike—'Just do it!' Starting out, I never had a business plan. I went into the world of fashion very ignorant. But ignorance is bliss! If I had known what I know now, I'd probably run a mile! I threw myself into a world I knew nothing about, and here we are 20 years later. We now have 256 international stockists and are available in 55 countries."
-Camilla Franks
6. It's tough for her to pick her favorite piece in her closet.
"I'm very lucky in that I get to play in my archive wardrobe at work each day, so it's hard to narrow it down to one special piece! The most sentimental thing I have in my closet is my daughter Luna's baby clothes, just holding them close and breathing them gives me all the warm fuzzy endorphins."
-Camilla Franks
7. She loves the maximalism trend.
"More is more, baby!"
-Camilla Franks
(Image courtesy of Camilla Franks)
8. Her favorite person to follow on TikTok is her soul sister, Nicole Scherzinger!
"Besides being a freakin' amazing human inside and out, her TikTok content is uplifting and always puts a massive smile on my face."
-Camilla Franks
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9. She sees her Disney collection as a real dream come true.
"This collaboration is a 'pinch me' moment. It's the kind of thing you dream about but don't truly expect to happen!
I've always loved Disney. Like so many kids, I grew up watching fantastical tales where anything could happen, good would always triumph and friendship, family and creativity were valued above all else.
These stories encouraged me to believe in magic and follow my dreams. Each one was a call to adventure, a promise that anything was possible. In many ways, they planted the seed for the future fairytale world of CAMILLA I'm so fortunate to now play in every day."
-Camilla Franks
(Image courtesy of Camilla Franks)
11. Before she moved into fashion, she was an actress and ballerina.
"You'll often find me doing headstands in the design room."
-Camilla Franks
10. Above all, Camilla considers herself an advocate for love and acceptance of beautiful human diversity.
"The best thing about humans is we're all different, and it's something that should be celebrated! It breaks my heart when difference and diversity is weaponized into something bad. The fashion industry has come a long way in my 16 years. When I first started out, I encountered a lot of ageism and shapeism. Everyone has the right to feel beautiful, no matter their age, shape, ethnicity, ability and identity. It's all about living as your true authentic self. My first runway, 18 years ago, was rule-breaking at the time. I had a size 20 opera singer, a pregnant woman, models of all heights and ages and abilities. I'm so glad the industry is now embracing a much more forward-thinking attitude toward the human body."
-Camilla Franks
Curious about more of our favorite women in fashion? Click HERE to read our interview with Silver & Riley founder Lola Banjo.