After seeing Camila Coelho in a bespoke Oscar de la Renta gold leather two-piece for Brazil’s Carnival, inspired by a past ODLR design, we knew we had to get a first-hand account of all the details. Co-creative director Fernando Garcia notes, “As the muse of the Rio Carnival, she needed a luminous look. We knew the gold Pre-Fall 2024 metallic basket weave dress with floral appliqué was perfect as it embodies the energy and glamour of the festival.” Delving into the creative process, he goes on to explain that, “we created a custom iteration of this dress for Camila with this corset and skirt set so she could celebrate and dance freely. The look also offers great ventilation!”
From the initial design conception with the Oscar de la Renta team to the final look and invigorating feel from the parade filled streets of Rio, ahead Coelho recounts her experience with a dash of hometown nostalgia and hefty dose of Brazilian pride.
First of all, how has your 2024 been so far?
Let's think. I feel like it's been six months already. It started super mellow—usually I start my year back in my hometown of Brazil. I usually go at the end of December and stay until almost the end of January with my horses and my family. It's the only time of the year I can disconnect [from the rest of the world] and reconnect with myself. It really makes me more grounded—I appreciate life more. I feel like I almost come back having more and needing less. For my mental health it is ideal. So I started my year like that again, and then it started getting a little bit hectic prepping for fashion month coming up and Carnival. I'm also moving houses (not moving from Miami, but houses). But it's been great. A little bit hectic, but I feel the hecticness makes me excited.
Apart from it being the biggest party in Brazil (and maybe the world!) does Carnival hold any special meaning in your heart?
Definitely. I feel as a Brazilian—I lived there until I was 14 years old—I've always loved Carnival. I love the parties, but I think Carnival is not just about partying, it's about freedom. It's the only time of the year that you're like, ‘You know what, who cares? I'm gonna be whatever I want. I'm gonna wear whatever I want. I'm gonna do whatever I want.’ To me it's about freedom, happiness and celebration. It's such an amazing feeling. When I was in the car during the day and all the parades were going by, people were so happy. I saw the celebration, the happiness and the emotion in people's faces. And seeing that is magical. I had chills the whole time. As a Brazilian having not been there for so many years, I felt that I was still breathing Carnival.
I still have this energy in me. It's so important too. I love to celebrate it every year even if I’m not there. I’m usually in Paris, and we play Carnival music in the room as I'm prepping for a NYFW show. I still like to celebrate somehow.
And that was actually gonna be my next question. You obviously haven't been for 10 years because you've been doing a lot of fashion weeks. Now that you've gone this year, do you think you want to incorporate this more into your life every year?
Actually, I told the team in Brazil to start planning for next year because I want to come back. I think Carnival is gonna be a priority. We’ll need to pick between fashion and Carnival, but that's so funny because we can do both.
So you were out this weekend with some pretty big Latina names such as Sabrina Sato and Anitta—how does it feel to celebrate Carnival with other amazing Brazilian women with international platforms?
I always say, Sabrina is like the Carnival queen. She incorporates everything: her amazing personality, happiness, and also the fashion side of it, which is so beautiful. She's so artistic. And Anitta, who is our biggest star in Brazil, her being there representing Brazilian women meant so much. I felt really honored to be there as a muse.
Now onto the amazing Oscar de la Renta custom piece. What is the story behind the ensemble - how did this amazing creation come about?
I talked to Fernando and he's like, ‘Oh my gosh, I want to go to Brazil, as well. This is amazing.’ And to be honest, when I first talked to him, I didn't know if he would even say yes because they were in the middle of [working on the next collection]. They are so crazy busy for Oscar de la Renta and Fashion Week. But he was so excited and we thought about so many possibilities. He was just open.
We had two weeks, basically. Two weeks! I knew I wanted something gold. I also looked at what Oscar has done in the past. I actually found something that was similar that they had previously done. Instead of a dress, we did a two piece that looks like a dress, and they placed the flowers differently on it. But it was this perfect combination. The look was exactly what I wanted and made me feel how I wanted it to make me feel. I felt so empowered, so beautiful and confident. I wanted to do Carnival in a couture, chic way, and I feel like we really delivered that. I'm so grateful to Fernando because he was so open-minded. And in the end, it was something that was already very Oscar, which is great.
Photo: Eusebio Mendonca
How involved were you in the process?
Very involved. I try to be very involved in anything I do, especially when it comes to personalizing a look. Even when I work with a stylist, for example, I always like giving my opinion. It needs my touch, right?
This two-piece was kind of an iteration from something they (ODLR) had before. Do you feel like the piece hit the nail on the head with the inspiration, you know, mixing an iteration of this they had before, but also the Brazilian kind of glamor?
One hundred percent. It was also very sheer. It looked like a piece of metal, but it was actually leather, a very rich leather that was comfortable. I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, am I going to be able to sit in this?’ So it made it very sexy—very Brazilian, but very chic.
What did the getting ready process look like? How many hours did it take to get Carnival ready?
You don't want to know how many hours it took. My brother was with me and he was like, ‘I cannot believe you're going to start getting ready now.’ Well, yeah, it takes a village. I had a tailor sewing my underwear because we decided to make a metallic bikini bottom to wear with it. There was a whole team of 10 plus people in my room. We started at around 5:30 and I was ready at 11. But at 11 the photos, content, and all of that began.
So after the success with this custom piece, Do you plan on doing anything else just as majestic with Oscar de la Renta in the future?
Oh my gosh, one hundred percent. I hope that I’ll go to the Met Gala with Oscar de la Renta. It's my dream. Oscar de La Renta always kills the Met Gala. They kill it on red carpets in general. So for sure, I want to do more with them.
Speaking of the Met Gala… You attended the Met Gala in 2019 with Diane von Furstenberg, becoming one of the first digital creators to attend the event. Did you think your career in fashion would just go upwards and onwards from there?
Never. I remember being invited to the Met, and I couldn't believe it until the moment I was inside. Honestly, I remember being so nervous and Diane called me a few minutes before we left to ask how I was. I told her I was nervous—so nervous I was almost crying. And she was like, ‘Camila, just get high and let’s do it.’ She held my hand the whole time we were there, and it was so beautiful because she's such an iconic person. Everyone loves her so much so I met so many people because I was with her. It was one of the most iconic moments of my life and career for sure. I thank God every single day because of where I started and where I am now—it's insane. It's truly a blessing.
Photos: Eusebio Mendonca
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