An Indepth interview with Camille Wood with DazzlMe about her inspiration, passion and new endeavors. 

By: Kim Harris and Dalina Ford

You seem to have a very wide range of hat designs, as well as headbands. What inspires you?

Anything from an old movie to a song I hear on the radio – I ask God every morning for inspiration so I guess you could say my ideas are ‘heavenly’ (smile).

I’m very excited to see your new line of Hot Ice Bikinis. What made you go from hat designs to swim wear?

I had no particular plans on designing swimsuits, however, I was asked recently if I wanted to accessorize a bikini fashion show with some of my hats and head pieces and I said, “Of course, but why don’t I throw in a bikini or two?” and my Hot Ice Bikini line was born.

 When you start designing a hat, what goes through your mind?

My motto is, ‘Saving you from the ordinary’, so I strive for the extraordinary in all of my pieces without without compromising style and beauty.

How long does it typically take you to design a hat?

One of my hat designs can take anywhere from one day to one week, just depending upon the particular design.

 How do you intend on making women feel by wearing your designs?

Especially your new Hot Ice Bikini collection. I am excited about being one of the featured designers at Fashion Week San Diego in October and will be launching my first dress line at the show. While my dresses will be enjoyed by women of all ages, I am focusing on creating styles that will be especially appealing to women over 40 who want to feel beautiful, glamorous, adventurous and sexy, but always with class, elegance and style. As I grow older (notice I did not say ‘old’ for I never plan on becoming old – just ‘old-er’) I have noticed that there are certain body parts I would prefer to keep out of the limelight, and certain features I would like to highlight. My dresses will be geared toward accenting the positive; a woman’s shoulders and back are beautiful no matter what the age, consequently, many of my styles will be off-the-shoulder, while most will have some type of sleeve to hide those upper arms that might not be as toned as we would like them to be.

My metallic bikinis, on the other hand, are geared more toward the younger woman who is still comfortable in bearing it all; however, I have designed a tankini for women who prefer all over coverage, yet still want to look exciting and sexy.

What era do you think had the best style in hats?

That’s a tough question because I think each era has had something unique to offer in the way of hats and head pieces.

 Have you encountered any struggles while entering the fashion industry?

I have to say that my experiences thus far have been very positive. There is always a learning curve no matter what your endeavor, and I have learned a few things the hard way, but I am so thrilled and grateful for the response I’ve received with regard to my designs and am looking forward to what the future holds for Dazzlme

You’ve worked in a good amount of fields, from driving a limo, to working with President Reagan. Besides the fashion industry, what was your favorite job?

While nothing quite rivals working in the fashion industry, my experience assisting President Reagan and his Advance Team and driving the press in President Bush’s motorcade were undoubtedly the two most exciting things I have experienced in my lifetime thus far. Nirvana will come when I’m walking hand-in-hand with my models down a runway in Paris.

 You have a background in art, from painting portraits. Do you typically sketch out your designs first, or are you more of a mental designer?

I can paint a mean portrait, but my sketches are hideous, so my designs are first given birth in my mind and then come to life as I begin to work hands-on with each creation.

 Who has been your favorite person to work with so far?

My models. They are so incredible. They work hard and oftentimes do not get the appreciation they deserve, so I always strive to make sure each one receives credit and a little something special from Dazzlme as a ‘thank you’ for bringing my designs to life in such a delightful way.

 Who is your favorite hat designer?

There are so many incredible hat designers, but I would have to say one of my favorites is Nigel Rayment out of the UK. I love his diversity and the flamboyant flair he gives to each of his designs.

 Where can we find your latest designs?

The Dazzlme Collection can be found at http://www.dazzlme.com/ .