NEW YORK, September 7, 2008
By Romney Leader
With each new season she shows in New York, Camilla Stærk's vision becomes more refined. Her latest effort, a stark, moody mélange of mostly leather and silk, is her most sophisticated yet. Titled "The Storyteller," the Spring collection was inspired by Out of Africa author Karen Blixen. "She spent 20 years in Kenya, but Denmark was home," said Stærk backstage. "I wanted to capture both elements of her persona." The Danish influence rang clear in sleek leather pants and liquid-jersey bodysuits (the latter reworked for a basket-weave effect), as well as an austere ultra-suede strapless dress. The African element was also present, but filtered through Stærk's lens it emerged as a linen racerback tank studded with brass nailheads, and a batik print distorted to the point that it looked like veins. In August Stærk opened her first boutique, in Nolita. The sleek, Scandinavian-looking space (designed by Stærk herself) should be the perfect backdrop for her unique wares.
