Camille Guellec (’22 Craft & Material Studies)
Camille Guellec fell in love with the art of rug design during her time at CCS. Drawn to the hands-on creativity of tufting, she built her own tufting frame with help from faculty and friends in the Fiber & Textiles program creating a tool for not just herself, but future students to use to explore the craft. Through her minor in Fashion Accessories Design, she gained the skills to land herself a job crafting bags for an iconic design house before finding her way back to where it all began.
The Interview
“I love getting lost in the moment of creating. Time flies and I don’t even realize it. It’s a beautiful experience.”
–Camille Guellec
How did you end up where you are today?
I’m actually from France. Both of my parents are French. I spoke French at home my whole life but never lived here until about two years ago. I still have a lot of family here in France.
When I first left CCS, I planned to move to France. I applied to Hermes and got into their leatherworking training program. And then, for a year, I worked with them, learning how to make bags on a high-end quality scale. It was exceptional.
I think by the time I left, there were about 15 bags that I made that are out there in the world somewhere. I don’t know who has them, but it’s a cool little fun fact.
Now, I’m working as a design specialist for a UK company called Rug Artisan. I’m a rug designer. I research a lot of trends and make my own designs, and sometimes I’ll have clients that I have to work with. They might want a specific design based on an idea that they saw and I help design whatever they need.
What do you love most about rug design?
What I love most is actually getting to make the rugs and being hands-on. I love getting lost in the moment of creating. Time flies and I don’t even realize it. It’s a beautiful experience.
Who or what inspires you?
I get a lot of inspiration online. When it speaks to me, it speaks to me. Living here inspires me a lot, too. I’m working on a personal collection for my job. It’s a Parisian-inspired collection, so I’m working with the Guimard-style metros the way that they have the green curvy architecture.
What’s your ultimate goal? What are you hoping to accomplish in, say, 10 or 20 years?
Hopefully, I’ll have made my own rug-making business flourish while still working in rug design for a big corporate company at the same time. I really like the fact that there’s a possibility to have steady pay and also be able to have my own business on the side, because I’m working from home and have such flexible hours.
How do you feel CCS helped you prepare you for this career?
CCS helped me learn how to network. I found this job on my own. I reached out to people and that’s not something I would have ever known how to do without the classes that I took.
What advice would you give your younger self?
Take advantage of the facilities that you have. I didn’t realize how much I would miss having a screen printing studio and the Fashion Accessories Design studio with all the industrial sewing machines. It’s really phenomenal to have all of that. I mean, you’re paying for it. You might as well use it as much as you possibly can.
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