Interview: Camilla Stones
An Icelandic pop star’s spiky homage to the Statue of Liberty
by Dominic Blackwell-Cooper
Camilla Stones is accustomed to success. Her entire life has evolved around art, music, dance and design. Serving as one third of the Icelandic pop girl group The Charlies, she has been a part of 10 number one singles, four albums, a TV show, a book and so much more.
Two years later and Stones is adding another creative endeavor to her already impressive resume—jewelry design. CarmaCamilla combines Stones’ passion for design with her family’s extensive lineage as goldsmiths. The ultra spiky accessories also undoubtedly reflect her daring personality and free-spirited ethos.
What was your inspiration to start a jewelry line?
My friends! I probably would just be at home drawing and putting down ideas, if it wasn’t for my amazing friends who double dared me to start my company and start selling my designs. I was also getting amazing feedback on my spiky earcuffs when we were performing. So I just decided, why not and went for it.
How has the process been?
The process has been amazing and I have loved every step of the way. Since I come from three generations of goldsmiths I wanted to do this extremely well and by the book. I love the engineering behind a well-designed piece. I spent two months perfecting my design for my main collection, the Liberty collection.
I made several prototypes and some of them were truth be told, not good at all. So I sat down and thought why I really wanted to do this and put it down on paper why these collections meant so much to me and then they came alive. All my spikes come from my heart and are very personal to me so I wanted to be able to present that as well as I possibly could to my custumers. Then I got my father’s approval—which was really important to me—and just went for it.
You handle both the business and creative side of CarmaCamilla?
I love the business side as well. I got that side covered—did my business plan, budgets, patent licensing and all that. Then I did the website and online store. I utilized social networks for marketing and suddenly my little CarmaCamilla baby became a reality and in the end of July this year it went viral.
What inspired the Liberty collection?
Freedom! I love expressing myself through fashion and I love to challenge myself. So I wanted to create a feeling through a rebellious spiky that other people could enjoy. I wanted to create a piece that would challenge people to step outside the box and harness the rebel inside them, to feel the freedom of doing whatever you want to do whenever you want to do it. And I wanted to make it beautiful but at the same time daring and a little bit dangerous.
What are your influences?
Music is one of my biggest influences. For the Liberty collection, the Statue of Liberty was a huge influence, both the physical appearance and what she stands for. Iceland of course in all its glory—the history, the nature, the people. The different forms and movements of animals, birds and snakes for some reason really get me going when drawing up ideas. I just try to use what life throws at me and use it wisely.
What is your vision for the line?
I’m working on different lines within the Liberty Collection. It all started with earcuffs. Now I’m doing necklaces, bracelets, rings and even headpieces. I want it to grow and almost get a life of its own, but most of all I want people to enjoy it.
Images Courtesy of CarmaCamilla with additional photography by Dominic Blackwell-Cooper.
