Interview of Virginie Neumann, Virginie Castaway designer:
So Virginie, tell me about you, where are you from? What is your background? Well, I grew up in an artists family in the North of France. My parents have always taught me to open my eyes and they gave me the chance to express myself through a lot of things, like drawing, music and by taking dancing classes… After 3 years of fashion school in Paris and 7 years working as a buying chief manager for a big French company, I decided to change my life and fly to Australia. What happened? Why Australia? At this stage of my life, I wasn’t really sure about what I was looking for, but I was certain that I made the right decision by leaving Paris and quitting everything for a new adventure. Sometimes you just have to trust your instinct. I flew for the first time to Australia to visit my best friend, she leaves in Sydney. Then I fell in love with the country, the beauty of the nature, the kindness of the people…even the light is different over there! That’s quite a big change…What did you experience over there? I learnt a lot about myself. I tried been to do everything I wasn’t use to doing in France. I enjoyed my freedom, learned how to relax and listen to my own desires. Every kid has a dream, but we usually forget about it by growing up…mine came back to me ! So, I start drawing and making my first collection, a few pieces of cotton veil blouses and tops mixed with ‘Liberty” printed fabrics. That’s the way “virginie castaway” was born! |  |
 | Why did you call your collection “virginie castaway”? That is not your name, so where is it come from? Well I was far away from my own country and my family, I was like a « cast-away ». So I though it would be interesting to mix my name in with my new life experience: the old me with the new me…and because it sounds great to me! It’s the reason why I named my first collection « virginie castaway ». In 2006, you decided to fly back to France…What made you come back? Well, all the good things come to an end…and, after almost a year off in Sydney, I thought it was time to run my own business. We set up the company in February 2006, and since then virginie castaway has being going strength to strength. |
Discover the Virgine Castaway video:
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