I don’t k now how designer Rosanna Ocampo does it, but she’s a marketing genius whose genius is in not doing any marketing at all, at least as far as appearances go. She just lives her life.
Rosanna needs no models. Her models are her friends and they are just the type of women with whom Rosanna surrounds herself, shopping with them, eating with them, vacationing with them. Their lifestyles fit her own to a T, and also her brand.
For summer 2024, Rosanna opens her physical store, Studio Rosanna Ocampo, at the Power Plant Mall. This is where what she calls “my first foray into retail” began when, shifting to ready-to-wear in 2016, she set up her first popup a year later. “I think a lot of people got used to seeing Rosanna Ocampo as a store because I’ve been doing pop-ups for six years,” she says. “But the thing about pop-ups is, they’re not really your space, right? Sure, I’d change the wallpaper a couple of times, but the space really wasn’t mine. I couldn’t really let my hair down, design-wise.”
Now this space—“a nice corner space at that!”—is all Rosanna’s and her current collection, The Nomad, is what opens it at R2, Power Plant Mall, Rockwell Center, Makati. The store is every inch her vision, funky, retro-inspired, groovy with ‘70s vibe. “I just wanted to make sure that the space is a reflection of our brand—bold, sexy, fun,” says Rosanna. As for what you can buy when you visit the store, it’s no less than her best vision of summer 2024. Think sexy pieces for flirty adventures or loungewear and flowing maxi dresses—both sides of summer, exciting and relaxed. I sit down with Rosanna Ocampo to discuss this bold move.
What makes this your dream store?
Finally, here is a space I call my own and make my own. I looked to my favorite decade—the ’70s—for design inspiration and incorporated a lot of that fun, funky vibe. The colors are my signature green and gold. I love the eclectic light fixture. There are larger-than-life phone booths. So you can see that I really didn’t hold back on injecting a lot of color and texture.
Your business model is very unique. Because it doesn’t appear to be a business. And all the Rosanna Ocampo girls are like the same, I mean, a certain type of women, and you’re one of them, like a whole barkada. Is there conscious effort to run it this way?
Can I just say that that is the biggest compliment I have received? I love what I do. I’m very lucky to really know what profession I wanted to be in at an early age. I knew I wanted to be in design since I was 13! And I’ve been in this industry for 16 years now. So to know that my passion, my love, my dedication show is really such a compliment. You could say my business model is synonymous to having fun. Because that’s what I really look for when I choose my muses – they’re feminine, sensual, confident, and fun!
How does Nomad, your current collection, match the mood you see as a woman and as a designer of summer 2024?
Nomad is a very special collection because, first of all, it is the very first collection to be at the opening of my flagship store, so I knew all eyes would be on it and it would be given special attention. Second, it e m b o d i e s that perennial vacation vibe and captures the essence of summer, which is all about seeking adventure, going places. That’s exactly what a Rosanna Ocampo woman is. She’s always keeping up with the times, in the know. She’s a woman of the world. To capture the vibe of summer, I made sure the collection was not only for the sexy, flirty summer girl but is also sweeter and feminine. It’s a very versatile collection you can take from sun up to sun down, lunch to a night on the town. Lastly, Nomad plays with a new material: raffia. I’m always reinventing, evolving, moving forward so when I saw it on the fashion runways around the world, it was something I wanted to put my spin on. Plus, it’s a very durable material so it’s perfect for summer and travel. You don’t need to dry clean or iron it.
What is your best vision of summer 2024 in terms of mood, style, activity, destination…?
My best vision of summer is really revolving around raffia, which is why I wanted to work with it and mold it as our own. It reminds me of island living. Two of my favorite destinations are Ibiza and Myknonos. There’s a certain type of energy on those islands, and there’s a lot of natural textures and materials. So I really feel raffia captures the spirit of the islands and that’s what I see for this summer. Summer mood? Free-spirited adventure! We have never worked with the raffia element, which I think is something special, and I really wanted to go the extra mile.
Follow @ studio_rosann a o c a m p o on Instagram. www. rosannaocampo.com