MAGAZINE TALK: L’OFFICIEL MEXICO EIC PAMELA OCAMPO
Standing out on the international fashion scene is L’OFFICIEL MEXICO with it’s elegant content and enticing fashion photography it is certainly leaving a mark. Our Editor In Chief ZARKO DAVINIC had the pleasure to sit down for a talk with the woman behind the mag, fellow editrix in chief PAMELA OCAMPO.
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After working at ELLE and Harper’s Bazaar you were appointed as Editor-in-Chief of the L’Officiel Mexico in 2013. What was your initial vision for the magazine once it was in your hands?
Creating a magazine for smart and cool women who live in Mexico. Producing local content within an international context keeping in mind three main goals: inform, inspire and surprise our readers. Right now, our country is a very cosmopolitan place, especially Mexico City. People from all nationalities live here now! So you have to select and present the best of the best having in mind that not always the most expensive stuff is the best stuff.
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How does the way L’Officiel Mexico addresses its readers compare to the way L’Officiel Paris does? Do you have interaction with other L’Officiel editions?
We celebrate the French style: natural, real, smart and elegant. So in that way we share the French savoir-faire but in a Mexican way. Yes, we have good relationship with our sister editions. Countries like Spain, Singapore, Greece, Malaysia and Turkey have syndicated the content we produced.
How would you describe the work dynamic between you and your Creative Director Gustavo Garcia-Villa?
We talk a lot and it is always fun! We are obsessed with images. We like to discuss ideas, concepts and projects and he is great on set settling down ideas and images. The whole team I work with is GREAT!
What do you look for in a girl when casting her for your next L’Officiel Mexico cover star?
It has to have something special and real in a cool way. We work with our Casting directors and we both have a clear idea of the type of girls we like. Hot List, Top 50… [models.com lists] or even the girl who will be huge next season, just like it happened with Vittoria Ceretti or Lorelle Reyner.
So, is there a reason why you never replaced the fashion model on the cover with a celebrity?
We had one “celebrity”! Caroline de Maigret – she represents the type of woman we like. We like to work with more celebrities that share our aesthetic and style. We really would like to work with Charlotte Gainsbourg, Melanie Laurent, Lea Seydoux or Clemence Poesy just to mention a few.
Going back to the logistics and the local scene, there’s a perception in Europe and the States that the Mexico market sees luxury labels as a status symbol. Do you think that is true and how do you address that?
Still happens sometimes… We try to focus on style all the way long, smart shopping and good design.
Which Mexican designers would you like to give more of a spotlight on the international fashion scene?
From womenswear, Francisco Cancino from Yakampot, Julia y Renata, Children of our Town and Trista both brands designed by Josa Silva, Marika Vera and The Pack by Patricio Campillo.
But when it comes to jewelry designers we have Anndra Neen, Daniela Villegas, Cristina Ramella, Felina and Gala is Love.
Do you also see L’Officiel Mexico as playing a role in educating consumers about international fashion?
Definitely! I think the relationship between art, design, architecture, beauty, style and fashion is fundamental.
You are an avid instagrammer, but many creatives in the industry are calling the app a ‘necessary evil’, do you think Instagram is here to stay?
I think it will evolve. I use it as a tool to share our work in L’Officiel Mexico and the way I like to see things, but it will definitely change somehow.
What is your take on stylists and editors who are cultivating this whole social media craze and turning themselves into a brand?
We need original content and avoid the bad copy of the copy.
Do you think that the rise of digital press will ever leave print publications redundant?
For me it is even more challenging: print will testimony our days in the future. So we need to create great content, images and text, to make a real difference. Our latest covers have been shot with an analog camera… we love film!
What’s next for L’Officiel Mexico? Are there any plans for L’Officiel Hommes Mexico in the future?
L’Officiel will turn three years in Mexico in 2017. We need to consolidate this title first in Mexico and Latin America to lay the foundation for the masculine version.
