Fernanda Carneiro is a perfectionist. A petite woman of 5'4", she has always found it difficult to find clothes that fit her curvy, petite figure properly. Armed with a degree in marketing and production as well as design experience with fashion companies like BCBG and ABS, Fernanda decided that it was time to start a line of her own. A line that would fit women more like herself than six foot tall glamazons, giving her a chance to represent her and a way for her to express herself, and to give some fresh designs to those that seek something different from all of those labels out there that just follow trends.On what makes Fernanda Carneiro Designs different from other brands:
There are three things that make my brand different. The first is design. My designs are unique and wearable. I do not follow trends too closely but I am always very focused on wearability and designing what I believe women want and cannot find. The second is quality. I use only high quality fabrics, such as 100% silks and uniquely textured fabrics, and high quality craftsmanship and tailoring. The third is fit. I have designed my clothes to fit petite women with hips. There are too many lines out there that do not take female curves into consideration and design strictly for women with very straight hips. All of us with some curves in the hip area get extremely frustrated when trying to buy clothing because nothing fits the way it should! That is the purpose of my fit, filling this void in the marketplace.
On how long it took her to start her company:
After graduating from a 4-year business school with a major in Marketing, I moved to Los Angeles to take
the fashion design course that I had always wanted to take. After graduating from FIDM, I worked at BCBG Max Azria and A.B.S. in both the production and design sectors. Once I had gained the education and work experience that I thought was essential to my success, I began working on creating my label. It took about one year from the foundation of my company to seeing the dresses from my first collection in stores! On whether there's a specific height Fernanda Carneiro Designs fits:
My fit is perfect for someone who is 5'4". I believe that this height is a good fit for both petite and "regular" women. It can fit shorter women and women that are a little bit taller. No body is the same. There are taller women that have shorter torsos and shorter women that have longer torsos. Proportion is what is important. Everyone needs to find a designer whose fit works for them. I believe that my fit works for a large part of the female population.
On the height of her models:
My fit model is 5'4". Print and runway models can be anywhere from 5'4" to 5'8", or maybe even taller if the proportions are right.
On what she thinks of the "sameness" of today's models (i.e. tall, blonde and very young):
The first print model I used has red hair and the second model is a brunette. Since I am of Brazilian origin and draw inspiration from my heritage, I decided to use these models that are not the standard blonde to represent my line. I think what I look for in models is something more unique or exotic. This does not exclude blondes, I just have not chosen one so far.
As for the "sameness" in mainstream fashion, I think that we are on our way to making that change. There are so many different and beautiful people of all races and backgrounds that I believe all should be represented in the fashion world. Each designer has to decide what they want their brand to represent and who they believe their line appeals to most. With so many designers out there, we should be able to get away from that idea that everyone has to look the same and dress the same. On designers she admires:
I have many designers that I admire! There are so many designers out there with so much to offer. I admire design in general, not anyone in particular at all times. Every collection gives a designer the chance to express themselves at that particular moment in time. My personal aesthetic may or may not synch with that of a designer that I admire at any particular time. With this taken into consideration, a few of the designers that I am drawn to are: Oscar de la Renta, Carolina Herrera, Alice Temperley, doo.ri, Marchesa, and the list goes on and on!
On plans to expand beyond dresses:
Yes, I do. I am thinking of already starting to expand to include sportswear beginning with my Spring 2009 collection.
On where she sees herself five/ten years from now:
Five years from now I hope that my line will have pleased the public enough to be something women seek out. I hope to be selling in boutiques all over the country and maybe in 1 or 2 major high-end department stores. In ten years I hope to be a lifestyle brand! I would like to be selling in various countries around the world and to have expanded my line to include shoes, handbags, and jewelry. Maybe at this point I could have other lines like swimwear, children's, and men's lines. I do want to continue my growth slowly, but there are endless possibilities!
Fernanda Carneiro Designs is currently available at the following stores:
House of Petro Zillia in Los Angeles; Lear's Closet in Marco Island, Florida; Rumeur Boutique in Miami Shores, Florida and Kacky & Carl in Dallas.
This article is also posted at Prospere Magazine