Cameron Cavaliere had more than his fair share of accomplishments in 2011 with the launch of his graphic tee brand, The Silver Factory. This Irish designer’s bold screen prints have appeared in Rihanna’s music video “We Found Love,” on the pages the Sunday Times Style section and as a part of Caggie Dunlop’s clothing line ISWAI. This would all seem fairly normal for a fabulous new designer, except that Cavaliere is only 16 years old! Yep, this lad has been alive for less than two decades and is juggling school, screen-printing and schmoozing with stars: how’s that for “overachieving”?
How did you come up with the idea for The Silver Factory?
I didn’t really set out to start my own label, it just kind of came to me over the summer and I started developing some designs and eventually narrowed it down to the first five designs that I launched originally in September 2011. I have always had a love for strong visuals and good design and thought that a t-shirt would be a good canvas to put my designs onto.
Your shirts were just featured in Rihanna’s new video “We Found Love.” Did you know that was happening? How does that kind of recognition feel?
Yea, I got an email from Emma of 9 Crows Temple Bar, the shop in Dublin where my t-shirts are stocked, saying that Aisling Farinella was in the store and saw my stuff and wanted to get three custom pieces off me to style in Rihanna’s video.
To get somebody like Aisling asking me for my designs is extremely flattering and to have such a great feature only a couple of months after starting the label is overwhelming.
Where do you draw your inspiration? Your designs seem cognizant of indigenous Mexican artwork and popular culture.
My t-shirts reference the pop culture of the moment, weather it be fashion, music or religion or beyond that. I don’t try and let trends be the deciding factor of what I design and ultimately put out there. Saying that, I’m bound to be influenced by them in some way.
You just collaborated with Stephen Moloney, author of the wildly popular blog Stitches | Fabric | and Soul. What was that like? Are you planning any other collaborations for the near future?
Collaborating with Stephen was an absolute pleasure. Our creative outlook is very similar so when we were in the design process we found ourselves emailing each other the same reference images! Going into it I was, of course, exited but was slightly worried incase it wasn’t going to work but the design came to us so easily and naturally and were both extremely proud of the collaboration.
As to future collaborations, I don’t have anything planned but I’d love to collaborate with somebody again in the future. Saying that I think collaborations need to happen organically, there is no point in collaborating with somebody for the sake of a collaboration.
You have accomplished more at this point in your life than many artists twice your age. How do you think your age affects your work in terms of design or running a business?
I think age will only affect you if you let it. I don’t see it as a deciding factor of how I run my business, obviously I have to work my schedule around school and take the work that is required for that into consideration but I don’t feel me being sixteen has any major negative effects to the running of my brand.
I know you’re balancing school, work and an internship. How do you manage your time?
My time has gotten very tight and I don’t have very much time that isn’t consumed by work or things related to work. Its not only about processing orders from the current season and then sitting back to count my money. I’m the only person running The Silver Factory, I’m both the face and the behind the scenes of the label. I design, produce and distribute the physical t-shirts as well as having to stay creative and come up with Next Seasons designs, concepts for the shoots and Spring/Summer 12’s visuals and branding to go along with all of that.
You also get the knock on affect from the success of the label, people asking you to do interviews for magazines, newspapers, radio, blogs as well as opportunities that I have gotten like designing for Caggie Dunlop from Made in Chelsea’s brand ISWAI, I just recently went over to London to do a promotional shoot with her. It should be launching very soon, I’m exited to see what people think of the design I created.
It’s a lot of work but I enjoy a challenge.
What is your most popular shirt?
I’d say the Cross or the Mexican Skull, but since the feature on Xpose the Aztec print is selling out!
Where do you see yourself and your brand in the next 5-10 years?
Hopefully have the brand properly established. I don’t have a master plan; I didn’t think I would have accomplished so much so soon with The Silver Factory so I’ll take every day as it comes!
