With a love for vibrant color, complicated knitting and the ability to create beauty from chaos and clash, Celia’s designs are inspired by her travels across the globe, from stripes seen in Rajasthan to batiks from Indonesia. Her use of traditional motifs seamlessly blends with exaggerated textures and bold bursts of print and color. We caught up with her to talk about her passions, inspirations and working with Lulu.
WHY DID YOU CHOOSE FASHION DESIGNING AS A CAREER?
I chose fashion design because I had so much fun, playing with garments, dressing up and creating accessories. I thought it was a great field to put my time and creativity into.
WHERE DO THE IDEAS FOR YOUR DESIGNS COME FROM AND WHAT INSPIRES YOU?
I know this might sound a little bit cliché, but it's totally true. My inspirations come from everywhere and when I could travel, I used to go to places where the textile culture was important and still alive. It was amazing to gather inspiration from those places. I also get inspiration from music, cinema, different arts, daily life and vintage fashion. Inspiration comes from everywhere; we designers are like a sponge.
COULD YOU TALK US THROUGH THE CREATION OF THESE PIECES?
My creation process usually starts with the prints and the textiles, that’s the starting point. I develop the prints that I want to use in the next collection, look for the colours that I want to work with, then the textiles and the fabrics.
WHAT IS IT ABOUT YOUR WORK THAT YOU LOVE?
I love for my work to be in touch with creativity and playing with the designs is like a game for me - I have fun and I enjoy creation. I’ve always loved fashion as I can be in touch with creating amazing work, taking care with every piece and the little details. That part of my design work is so playful, fun and just beautiful.
WHERE DO YOU HOPE YOUR PIECES END UP?
I would love for my pieces to end up with women who love the design itself, who can cherish all the work that goes into it and feel the love, passion and energy. I really enjoy when people who wear my designs, give me feedback. They say that they love it and they get so many compliments, which make them feel amazing. So, for me, that’s the best place where my designs can end up.
LULU LOVES IS ABOUT CHAMPIONING FEMALE CREATIVES, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN TO YOU?
I really love that Lulu Guinness is championing female creatives. This is very important to me because I know that for women, everything is harder in this world. We have fewer opportunities, we are raised in a way that we think that our ideas are not as important. It’s difficult for us to develop our own voice, it takes a lot of courage and a lot of effort, so I think it's important, not only to support this but also to provide role models to the younger generations. It's very important to have a voice as we are half of the population, so our vision needs to be heard and seen.
