Camille Fishel is Embracing Her Creative Side

Creative Release

CAMILLE FISHEL IS EMBRACING HER CREATIVE SIDE AS SHE EXPLORES A NEW DIMENSION AS AN ARTIST WHILE CONTINUING TO MASTER THE ART OF MOTHERHOOD AND BEYOND.

Photo Credit: Cody Lidtke

BY ADRIENNE FAUROTE

PHOTOGRAPHY CODY LIDTKE

STYLING SARAH ZENDEJAS

HAIR ADAM MACLAY

MAKEUP HANIC ARIAS

PHOTOGRAPHY ASSISTANT STEFAUN MALDONADO

DIGITECH KENNY MARTELL

STYLING ASSISTANT AND PRODUCTION SHELBY COMROE

SHOT ON LOCATION AT THE NED NOMAD

Camille Fishel is just one of those souls you are naturally drawn to, forging an immediate connection. From the moment she arrived on the set of our cover shoot on a quintessential gloomy New York spring day, she exuded ease, radiating a sense of calm that became palpable throughout our time together.

Spending the day with Fishel felt like catching up with a longtime friend after years apart. Perhaps our shared background of coming from small towns, bringing a touch of small-town charm to the “Big City” after moving to New York, formed an instant connection.

Fishel grew up in St. Cloud, Florida, a small city in Northern Osceola County. “St. Cloud is a town where, when you live there, you end up staying there. Many people stay and are very happy and content with their lives. But even as a young girl, I knew I wanted to get out of St. Cloud eventually.

At around 17, I began applying to every state college in Florida and got accepted to Florida International University (FIU) to major in architecture. So, the day after high school graduation, I left for Miami,” she explains.

As Fishel began to acclimate to her new life in Miami, her life as a multi-hyphenate began to form. “I signed with a [modeling] agency and immediately started working. I was determined to make money in college to pay off my student loans. So, my life then was casting and modeling during the day and coursework at night.”

For three semesters, Fishel practiced the art of balance between her ambition and academics before making another bold move: she switched to an online program and moved to New York City. “It was always my end goal to end up in New York,” Fishel admits.

Photo Credit: Cody Lidtke

That’s the inspiring thing I notice about Fishel — whether she realizes it or not — she has these inner callings where she feels drawn to explore them. She is extremely in touch with her intuition and is not afraid to pursue different vocations.

Case in point: her latest calling as an artist. Though her top priority is undoubtedly motherhood (which we’ll delve further into shortly), she has recently begun to tap into her creative side as an artist.

On April 8, 2024, Fishel woke up from a spinal surgery with a newfound purpose. “I had to have the spinal surgery. Though people get this surgery all of the time, I was being over-dramatic thinking the worst-case scenario,” she reveals, completely validated in her feelings. “I’ve always had this itch to paint. The best way I can describe it is the feeling of having to sneeze, but you don’t let it out. That’s how I felt living my life, so I told myself if I go through with the surgery and make it out alive, I am going to wake up and let out that sneeze. Painting has been a complete creative release.”

“Painting brings me a lot of peace and feeling of accomplishment,” she continues. “While I also feel an immense accomplishment with my daughters, watching them learn and grow daily, art has become really important for me.”

As a mother to young daughters, it is important for Fishel to lead by example, showing them that they, too, can become passionate about something, helping them evolve as human beings. “There was a time when my now-five-year-old daughter, Romi, was talking about what she wanted to be when she was older, and she said she wanted to work in an office like daddy,” she says. Fishel is married to Michael Rubin, an entrepreneur, philanthropist, and the founder and CEO of Fanatics. And Fishel’s daughters have a rare front-row seat to his day-to-day as a businessman.

“Maybe one day she does end up working in the corporate world in an office [like Michael], but she is such a creative kid, so I want her to see that there are other things people can do besides run companies and work in an office,” Fishel explains.

Art is the perfect outlet for her lifestyle, providing a sense of stability. “We move around a lot,” she laughs. “We’re all over the place, always traveling. Art is something I always have to come to and work on.”

If you happen to take a peek at Fishel’s paintings, they are bright and vibrant, while also embodying her calming spirit and presence. Like most artists, her work and inspiration transcend beyond the canvas. “Right now, I am working on an oil painting series — I am trying to get six done by the summer,” she begins to say when I ask her about what she is working on.

Photo Credit: Cody Lidtke

“There was a time in my life when we were building something and there was an interior designer who showed me an inspiration image for a hallway. When you first look at the photo, it looks super luxe, but my feeling inside was, ‘this looks so dark and ominous, reminding me of a jail cell,’” she briefly digresses. “This feeling evoked by the photo ended up inspiring the series I am making now because I feel like people look at super luxurious lifestyles and crave more and more. In my series, I am going back to the basics. I’m studying the fact that the most important things are what people already have — a loving family, nature, and fresh air to breathe. Those are the most important things in life.”

As an artist, Fishel moves with intention. “Much of my art is inspired by a bit of Surrealism where I build this entire world in my head before it goes onto the canvas; I love rich, saturated colors and deliberate strong edges. When I go to museums and see other artists’ work, it is also super inspiring. We live in such a digital age where there are a lot of graphic artists — and I completely respect their craft — but there is nothing like going to a museum and seeing brush strokes on the canvas, showing proof of life that a painter was there touching this painting at one point. I even love seeing the little pieces of paint not in the right place — things that indicate a human made it, not a computer,” she reveals.

Similar to her continuous evolution as an artist, her role as a mother has also taught her the art of relearning herself. “You become a whole new human being after kids. I believe it’s a better version of yourself — as a mother, I am my best self,” Fishel says.

As a soon-to-be first-time mother myself, I have to ask her how she finds this so-called ‘balance’ in motherhood. “Listen, all days are different,” she says. I can immediately feel the shift in Fishel’s energy as we begin to dive into the dimensions of motherhood — she adores being a mother. There are some women who were destined to become mothers, and Fishel is one of them.

Growing up, Fishel was raised in a humble household where her mother assumed the role of overseeing the house, so for her, this idea of balancing comes as a second nature. She continues, “Some days I feel like I am perfectly balanced, and other days I feel like my kids take over my entire day. I do understand that there is this whole culture of being a girl boss, and I respect it and completely understand why women want to prove themselves. I truly feel like I was called to be a mother,” she says, confirming my earlier sentiment.

“My kids are my priority, and I try to balance as much as I can. But, at the end of the day, I work on my art when my kids don’t need me. They are so young right now; I have a fear of missing out.”

Photo Credit: Cody Lidtke

It’s clear that Camille Fishel is a natural caretaker, with a deep desire to help others driving everything she does.

After welcoming her first child, she became acutely aware of women lacking the robust support system she had during childbirth, inspiring her involvement with Baby2Baby. The nonprofit organization provides children living in poverty across the U.S. with essential items like diapers, clothing, and hygiene products to support their well-being. “It feels like a basic human right to be able to have access to these things. Helping new mothers — giving them ‘one leg up’ in an already difficult world — is something I have become really passionate about,” Fishel says.

Again, her calming energy begins to take over — I have to address it. “Remaining calm comes with time,” she assures me. “With the first kid, you’re on high alert; when they cry, you think the world is ending. In contrast, when the second child comes along, you learn to go with the flow. It is your job [as a mother or parent] just to be there,” she says.

We shift our conversation to her summer plans, as she is known to have quite a busy summer schedule. Each year, Fishel and Rubin host the White Party in the Hamptons, an exclusive, star-studded Fourth of July celebration with A-list attendees like Beyoncé, Tom Brady, and Kim Kardashian, among others. But this year, they are introducing a new annual tradition.

“We are going to start alternating every other year for the White Party,” Fishel reveals. “So, this year, we have decided to focus all of our energy on the REFORM Alliance Charity gala in the fall.” Rubin co-founded REFORM Alliance, a criminal justice reform organization, in January 2019, alongside Meek Mill, Jay-Z, Robert Kraft, Michael Novogratz, Clara Wu Tsai, Daniel S. Loeb, Robert F. Smith, and Laura Arnold. And in 2023, the gala raised $24 million, supporting the organization’s initiatives.

Without the stress of planning what is arguably the biggest party of the summer at her Hamptons home, Fishel is excited for a chill summer ahead. “I’m looking forward to relaxing in the Hamptons. Then, at the end of July, we will be on a boat with the whole family in Spain,” she adds.

Photo Credit: Cody Lidtke

Looking ahead to the remainder of the year and beyond, Fishel’s goals are clear: “Professionally, my biggest goal is to truly establish myself as an artist and continue evolving my craft. I want to push my creative boundaries and explore new dimensions with my work. Then, on a personal level, I am focusing on deepening my relationship with my children, being present, intentional, and fully engaged in this phase of their lives,” she reveals, leading me back to another word I would describe Fishel: intentional.

A brief digression — and fun fact: Fishel’s astrological chart matches her energy almost perfectly. She is a Scorpio sun, which can often be described as one who is intensely passionate and emotionally powerful, often exuding unwavering determination. Her rising sign is Cancer, which possesses a nurturing and intuitive presence, often making others feel emotionally safe and deeply understood.

I actually guessed she had a bit of the Cancer sign (one of the most emotional astrological signs) in her chart because she is working on being less sensitive. “I come from an extremely sensitive family, so for me, I wish I could be a little less sensitive. Being with Michael, our love language is practically making fun of each other every day in a playful manner, but if I can dish it, I need to be able to take it. So, I have grown a thick skin over the years,” she says.

Photo Credit: Cody Lidtke

“Years ago, if I had wanted to pursue my art and I had heard just one negative comment about it, I would have stopped as I was extremely sensitive to others’ opinions. Now, I like to put my head down and do what’s best for me,” Fishel explains.

Yet, for me, her sensitivity is her strength — in fact, it’s her superpower. It is her sensitivity that empowers her to explore new dimensions of herself while remaining true to who she really is.

Photo Credit: Cody Lidtke

On the cover: DRESS: Gucci / JEWELRY AND WATCH: Avi & Co. Iced Collection AH23, 18K white gold and diamond dial in 37 mm with white rubber strap and Avi & Co. 14K white gold emerald cut diamond bracelet (33.01ct)

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