Designer Camilla Franks draws inspiration for new collection from fairytales

Fashion designer Camilla Fr anks sought inspiration from within for her latest collection after she was unable to travel overseas for inspiration in 2018 while she underwent breast cancer treatment.

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Fashion designer Camilla Fr anks had no choice but to seek inspiration from within for her latest collection.

Having travelled the globe each and every year on what she calls “inspiration trips”, Franks was forced to stay home in Australia in 2018 when she underwent treatment for breast cancer.

“I felt like I had my wings clipped, which is how most of the world is feeling right now,” Franks told Confidential.

“I have a gypsy heart so to be grounded for a stretch of time was in some ways terrifying because travel is the cornerstone of my prints and storytelling each season. Like everything in life though, challenges end up being blessings.”

Camilla Franks at home … work provided an escape during her toughest times. Picture: Prue Ruscoe

Working provided Franks an escape in the toughest of times.

“I am not the person who is sick and wants to lie in a bed,” she said. Being able to put myself in my office, being able to feel the love and be able to throw myself into my art and passion, that made me feel as though I was normal.”

The end result of those months of treatment is Franks autumn/winter 2020 collection, titled Then, Now, Ever After, and was inspired by mythical creatures, astronomy and fairytales.

The new collection is titled Then, Now, Ever After. Picture: Supplied

Now, Ever After, and was inspired by mythical creatures, astronomy and fairytales. Picture: Supplied

Previous collections were inspired by destinations including Japan, Vietnam, India, Peru, Africa and Paris.

“Because I was quite ill through that time and still recovering, the absence of physical travel meant I turned to the journey of the mind, ancient books, the strangest of fairytales, I found inspiration from wild journeys within their pages,” she explained.

“I went down a deep rabbit hole of the world of the fairytale.”

Earlier collections drew inspiration from international destinations.

Franks drew inspiration from fairytales she read to daughter Luna.

Daughter Luna, two, also provided inspiration. “It is like she reintroduced me to all of these beautiful stories,” she said.

“It was a perfect sense of play and escapism. There is something about fairytales that continues to captivate us well after our youth. And for me it was important to have escapism during a crazy time in my life.”

Originally published as Designer Camilla Franks draws inspiration for new collection from fairytales