Written by Kristin Vartan | Photo by Chase Hanssen
Walking into The Gallery at Nya studios was like stepping inside a kaleidoscope: Layers of flowers in orange, baby blue, and white bloomed on the walls in an otherworldly projection.
Claude Kameni’s encapsulating world continued to come alive, once models cascaded down the LAFW runway in polychromatic gowns and asymmetric skirts.
“When people wear my clothes, I want them to feel confident. I want them to feel like they’re seen,” Claude Kameni told Style Speak’s Kristin Vartan. “That’s why I use a lot of bold colors, because it just brings out that fun in every look that I make.”
Eyes followed a maxi dress of green and pink, shoulders crowned with tulle. More tulle spilled down in layers and layers of a drop-waist gown, an echo of the kaleidoscope along the venue’s walls. Those eye-catching prints are inspired by Kameni’s Cameroon Heritage. The designer was raised there before moving to the United States at eight years old.
“Growing up, we never saw African prints as being something you wear outside every day. It’s something you always stay home with,” Kameni told Style Speaks. “So, I wanted to change that and design things that you can actually wear, things that you can actually feel good in going outside.”
PC: Kohl Murdock | Serious People
There’s an undeniable confidence that exudes from a person clad in Claude Kameni’s bespoke prints.
PC: Kohl Murdock | Serious People
Look no further than Viola Davis’ radiant smile when posing in her mermaid-cut Golden Globes gown, coated in fuchsia leaves and red and blue fans. Then there’s that swoon-worthy moment on screen in Coming 2 America (the sequel), when that red and gold floral wedding dress blossoms like a flower, thanks to a ruffled train.
“I’m a self-taught designer, so I learned to sew and make clothes when I was in high school,” Kameni told Style Speak’s Kristin Vartan. “My mom couldn’t afford to bring me to college and pay for fashion classes. I had to learn on YouTube.”
As Kameni walked hand in hand with actress Yvonne Orji for the show’s finale, the crowd gave her a standing ovation. Kameni beams, putting her other hand in front of her face in pure joy.
When Kristin Vartan asked what she would tell her younger self, Kameni replied: “I would tell her ‘girl, you did it. You don’t know how, but it worked out! So, I’m really, really proud of you.’”
PC: Chase Hanssen
Style Speaks 