Camille Co is all long limbs. The fashion designer and style/travel blogger has put her lithe frame to good use showcasing her own creations and her other chic finds on her blog, Camille Tries to Blog, and on her Instagram @itscamilleco. The result? A massive international following that’s made Camille one of social media’s biggest celebrities, landing her on sartorial publications from Preview to Teen Vogue. Scrolling through her Instagram feed is a delight as square upon square is filled with Camille in fabulous clothes against fantastic panoramas.
There’s also one other reason Camille’s following has jumped recently. She has a love life now and her hundreds of thousands of fans are thrilled. Statuesque Camille has found the perfect arm candy—a tall and handsome blond businessman named Joni Koro.
“I don’t even remember how or when I ‘debuted’ Joni,” Camille says when asked about his debut. She finds the word “debut” amusing, subtly disapproving the implied meaning that she planned her love life and yet she laughs as she adds, “Even before he was revealed to the world, my having a boyfriend is one of my followers’ major concerns. It’s always been one of the most asked questions: ‘Do you have a boyfriend?’ So when they finally started seeing signs of life—I mean, love!—everyone was happy and ecstatic.”
Camille’s beau is inspiring a lot of interest mostly because he’s hilarious. Together with the boyfriends of Camille’s blogger friends, Joni created an Instagram account called @bloggerjowas poking fun at their lives as “Instagram husbands,” the poor men who take photos of their stylish women, risking life and limb just to take that perfect shot. His humor is not a surprise as Camille herself is a funny girl. Of course she’ll fall for a guy who makes her laugh! Given how cute Joni is, we wonder if it was love at first sight.
“It wasn’t love at first sight,” Camille states firmly. It may be a different story for Joni, however. “We actually met on the plane. He claims I already caught his eye when I was walking around the check-in counters but malay ba natin, baka bola lang yan,” she laughs. “Just kidding. He’s actually very honest so I’d take his word for it!” She laughs again.
Camille says she and Joni ended up seated beside each other and that he kept talking to her. “He was chatty. He asked for my number but I didn’t really realize it so he was ignored on the first try. When he asked for my number the second time around, in a more straightforward manner this time, he claims it was so obvious I was only giving him my spare phone number. Of course I’d give him my spare number! He could be some creepy guy!”
Thankfully for both of them, Joni wasn’t a creepy guy. “Joni comes all the way from Finland but he was actually already based here when I met him, which is super good because if he stayed here only for me, I’d probably feel so pressured,” Camille adds with a laugh. “He’s always been inspired by beautiful architecture and design so a few months back, he launched his own furniture business, Nordik Concept. Basically, he imports and distributes high-end and ergonomic office furniture from Scandinavian brands.”
We’re going to insert our happy shock here because this is truly a Calyxta exclusive. While she has amassed a loyal following (as of this writing, they’re 407,000 strong on Instagram alone), Camille rarely talks about her private life. She regales her fans with beautiful photos of dresses and destinations so the few times she does reveal something about real life, it’s always a surprise. For example, it took a while before Camille revealed Joni’s name! “I don’t really like sharing my personal life so much especially when it comes to relationships,” Camille says. “I guess I’ve always been so careful of this because I want to keep my private and public life separate, especially when there are other people involved. I don’t really have rules. I’m not as strict about it anymore but I guess I still choose what type of photos to share. Nothing too intimate.”
She shares her thoughts on love affairs splashed all over social media: “As long as it’s genuine and done tastefully, I’m all for it. But if you’re just doing it for the ’gram and you get a bit too up in people’s faces then that’s a little too much for me.”
Even though you feel a restraint in her posts about Joni, there’s an extra sparkle in her eye and a softness in her smile these days. Camille Co is in love and she can’t hide it anymore. So she’s allowed herself to reveal morsels of her blossoming love story online. Asked what her favorite thing about love in the time of Instagram? “You get to share that love to the world,” Camille replies softly.
Drop by next week as Camille Co talks about her dream wedding and shares her tips with brides on how to create a wedding everyone will remember.
Text by: FRANCES SALES
Photography by: ANDREA BELDUA
Videography by: RICHARD WEBB
Makeup by: RIA AQUINO
Hairstyle by: MURIEL VEGA PEREZ
Gowns by: PATTY ANG, COEXIST BY CAMILLE CO
Jewelry by: ATELIER818
Bouquet by: MICHI CALICA FLOWERS
Shot at: MARRIOTT MANILA
