Designers Celebrate Femininity with Sustainable Velvet Collection While Sharing LA's Best Spots
By Jesse Scott
Another hot girl summer is approaching, and Campbell & Kramer, a cult favorite brand spreading chill LA vibes across America, is fully embracing the moment. The project of UCLA roommates turned best friends Presley Campbell and Alden Kramer, the sustainability-focused label just launched a hot new collection that will keep girls looking their casual best from languid Laguna beach days to cheeky WeHo brunches. This season is a joyous celebration of femininity, with stretch velvet sourced from Korean deadstock shimmering in pastel teal, purple, and blue. Flattering hot shorts and the Cleo key-hole top were main protagonists, at once flirtatious and powerful. And all was ensconced in the too-cool-to-care confidence that has always been at the heart of the brand.
Rain recently caught up with Presley and Alden to hear about their latest inspirations, summer wardrobe essentials, and favorite LA hangouts.
JS: Let’s start by talking about your continued commitment to sustainability. A main protagonist in this season’s collection is stretch velvet deadstock from Korea. How did you source this material and what inspired you about it?
Alden: We stumbled upon the fabric and saved it from the landfill. Our production consultant called us and said that she knew a designer who was about to throw all of this crushed velvet away and asked if we wanted any of it.
Presley and I were a little skeptical of velvet at first, but as soon as we saw the pastel palette in person and actually touched the soft fabric and felt the easy stretch, we were sold. We didn’t know what we’d make with the fabric, but we knew we had to keep it. We couldn’t let this precious velvet go to waste.
The palette naturally lends itself to a spring collection, so that determined the timing of the launch. As for the actual silhouettes, the Olympia top and mini skirt as well as the Cleo top and shorts are fun, girly essentials that we had been considering for quite some time.
JS: The new looks feel particularly feminine. What does femininity mean to you and how is that reflected by this collection?
Presley & Alden: Both the colors and silhouettes are more feminine and girly than the collections we’ve created prior to this. There are so many elements of femininity, but we’re particularly inspired and fascinated by feminine confidence and playfulness.
That said, the feminine inspiration is a little all over the place. The Cleo shorts and the mini skirt feel are more youthful and lighthearted, and then the Olympia top feels sculptural and more goddess-like.
JS: Take us inside your LA! What are some of your favorite places to eat, drink, swim, or hang out right now?
Presley & Alden: We love this question! Hopefully we don’t sound too basic though, lol. We love Caffe Luxxe for meeting up with friends, Bevel for a nice dinner, and Horses for a dirty martini and a fire burger. Also, the dirty martini at Jones Hollywood is unmatched.
For swimming, if we’re not going to the beach in Laguna, we love going to Carbon in Malibu. And we run or bike on the beach every weekend to take advantage of the gorgeous weather. If there’s a good flea market we’ll check that out, or we’ll hit our favorite small vendors like Little Shop Malibu and Rockii Studios.
JS: What are your wardrobe essentials for summer 2025?
Alden: I tend to wear neutral shades and have a more tomboy style, so I’ll be wearing the black Olympia top, black Cleo top, and black Cleo shorts all summer long. I love the versatility of these sets; I can pair them with boots, with kitten heels or a cool wedge, or with ballet flats.
Presley: I’ve been loving the powder blue and lavender Cleo keyhole tops. They’re eye-catching, flattering and easy to throw on, and I get so many compliments when out in them. Pairing with the matching skirt or shorts or just a pair of vintage Levi’s or trousers and kitten heels is my fav.
Imagery courtesy of Campbell & Kramer