Camille Avent is Moore's new Fashion Design program head and an associate professor. She started working in fashion at age 16, buying merchandise for boutiques on South Street in Philadelphia. With more than 20 years of fashion and teaching experience under her belt, Camille takes pride in "challenging the status quo" and her exploration of fashion in the digital space.
Read on to learn more about Camille!
What’s your earliest memory of being creative or knowing that you wanted to do something creative with your life?
It had to be when I first saw the model Twiggy. I just remember looking at a magazine cover and seeing her eyes. That’s what I remember in my head—her eyes. I remember she was very androgynous, and as a very tall, curvy woman, I can also be a little androgynous as times, in terms of my look. I think [Twiggy] contributed to my identity and my desire to be in the fashion industry, because she looked so amazing.
I’ve always been on the creative side of things. In the '80s, everybody’s house had this wall of drop ceiling-style mirrors with a frame around it. I would look into these mirrors and just see myself looking weird, because there were three different sets of eyes or heads. I was like, "I don’t belong here." There was an alternate universe that I wanted to tap into. That brought out my creativity, and that was at a very young age.
Who is the artist or designer who has influenced you most and why?
It changes, but right now it would be [founder of fashion brand Hanifa] Anifa Mvuemba, mainly because she's a Black woman and she works in knitwear. She always has a story around her clothing—for example, one of her famous ones is when she tapped into the digital representation of clothing during the COVID-19 pandemic. You couldn’t necessarily have fashion shows, so she put on a digital fashion show. It was one of the first times that I was exposed to digital fashion, and I’ve always wanted to know where fashion is going next.
I was already a fan of her clothes prior to the digital show she put on. I love her clothes because she had tall sizes, she had curvy sizes. She’s a very inclusive designer, so it was very inspiring for me as a professional. Most of my work, research and professional development is in the digital space, and I want to further develop just to see where it goes.
What’s the most interesting thing you’ve done recently, professionally or otherwise?
I would say Philly Fashion Week. It was my first time putting my work in a digital presentation of artificial intelligence (AI). I was able to explore AI with design, and with video and concept of elements.
I worked with [founder of fashion brand Harx4 and Moore alumna] Renee Hill, and we developed the concept around the conch shell and its value in traditional African culture. We explored what that meant and what the future looks like. We’re kind of obsessed with the apocalypse and the end of the world, so we took this dystopian take on what fashion and the exchanging of goods would look like using the conch shell.
What is it like in your classroom at Moore?
I try to make it so the students have the most important voice. I have all this industry knowledge and experience, and I want to share as much as that with them as possible. But I think the most valuable way for them to learn is if they do a little bit of research and go through a process of discovery.
I like to think of myself as a facilitator or a "springboard" of information. I think of someone going into the deep end and diving into this pool of knowledge. I work with them on properly communicating their reasons for doing things. I want them not to design for the sake of designing, but designing with a purpose—communicating who they are and what they’re about.
If Moore had a mascot, what would it be?
Definitely a unicorn. So colorful, vibrant and mysterious!
Want to learn more about Fashion Design at Moore? Visit the Fashion Design page, schedule an appointment to talk to a Moore Admissions Counselor or contact Moore’s Admissions Office at enroll@moore.edu or 215.965.4015.
Images courtesy of Camille Avent.
