Think of Denmark, and the mind likely conjures up two contradictory images at once: The fluid lines of Danish Modern design, and the haunted fog brooding over Prince Hamlet’s Elsinore Castle. Denmark native Camilla Stærk draws on both legacies in her work as a fashion designer, meshing them together for a unique and deeply personal vision of dress that’s drawn worldwide acclaim.

Trained in London, Stærk found success fast: Her graduate fashion show at Ravensbourne College of Design and Communication caught the eye of both the international press and buyers at he boutiques Browns Focus and Maria Luisa. She went on to be awarded Top Shop’s New Generation Award three times, and her collections in London marked Stærk as “a future fashion star,” in the words of British Vogue, and immediately nabbed reviews in such publications as Women’s Wear Daily, New York magazine and Elle Paris.

Stærk’s distinct collections also quickly earned her a devoted celebrity following, with fans including PJ Harvey, The Raveonettes, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Liv Tyler and Julianne Moore. Model and photographer Helena Christensen proved so devoted to Stærk’s designs, she stocked them at her shop, Butik, hosted Stærk’s debut presentation in New York at the store, and threw an A-list Fashion Week party for the designer to celebrate her first runway show in the city. Publications that continue to support Stærk include Vogue, Nylon, ID, The New York Times Magazine, Allure, W, Women’s Wear Daily, Style.com, The Sunday Times, The Guardian, Another Magazine and Elle.

In 2006, Camilla Stærk relocated to New York to launch her current brand, Stærk. Embracing her new home, she has channeled American influences such as Twin Peaks and the sculpture of Louise Nevelson into collections that are distinctively Stærk⎯darkly romantic in mood, sharply cut, and notable for the designer’s innovative working of leather and jersey.

Her New York Fashion Week show for Fall ’08 was co-sponsored by the Gen Art Fashion Fund, the first time the award was given out; the following season Stærk was invited to show at Bumble and bumble with her Spring ’09 collection, ‘The Storyteller’, celebrating her long time muse Karen Blixen, aka Isak Dinesen.

The Stærk brand currently comprises apparel, swim, shoes and bags, as well as sunglasses produced by Selima Optique.

Stærk Signature, a capsule collection of Camilla Stærk favourites, was launched to great receipt in New York in July 2009, and is now retailing alongside the Stærk mainline.

“Camilla Staerk, a Danish designer with a downtown base (she opened a shop last year on Mulberry Street), refined her tough-girl aesthetic by treating leather in a way that was both sleek and elegant. Adding black lace gave the outfits that push-pull quality. Ms. Staerk, who said she was inspired by the photographs of Robert Mapplethorpe, showed only a dozen looks, including a long, reedy trench coat in mannish gray wool tweed with leather insets. What was underneath? Did it matter? She makes you wonder about the woman.”

Cathy Horyn, The New York Times, February 15th 2009.

Stærk has just presented her current Fall 2010 collection, ‘Us and Them’,  at New York Fashion Week on February 14th 2010 at Milk Studios, as part of the prestigious  Mac&Milk designer roster.