At Home With… CAMP HIGH
What would a trip to LA be without a visit to some of our favourite designers? First on the list - Greg Dacyshyn, the exuberant founder of CAMP HIGH, whose trinket-filled home and playful tie-dye clothes are the domestic and sartorial embodiment of his exuberant spirit and sun-soaked Californian surrounds. The finishing touch to his dreamy LA life? Two gigantic furry friends…
Where do you live and how long have you lived there?
I have been very fortunate to live in Santa Monica Canyon for five years, and will hopefully be here for many more.
Tell us about your upbringing. Where was your first home and what influence did it have on you?
I am originally from Toronto, Canada. From Toronto I moved to Burlington, Vermont, where I lived for 20 years. My Northeast roots served me well in my job as Chief Creative Officer of Burton Snowboards, where I lived and breathed winter. It also gave me an appreciation for making technical gear that was functional, but built for fun.
What was your route into fashion design and how did you begin Camp High?
My route into fashion design was through Burton, where I started as an Outerwear Product Manager. At Burton I had the fortune to learn the ropes with Jake Burton for many years, and learned that it's always product first. I always knew I wanted to do my own thing, but got especially inspired when I moved to the West coast. I had visited LA so many times, but really fell in love with the culture when I moved to the West side and started CAMP HIGH.
What’s the ethos behind Camp High and would you describe the brand?
Life is for living and we are all about living your highest self.
How would you describe your home?
My favourite place in the world. Bar none.
Who do you share it with?
I share it with my wife Anne-Marie, who is President of our CAMP HIGH Collective Agency, plus our two dogs, Bear and Aiko. It truly feels like a summer camp all year long at our place, with all of our Counsellors and Campers that also come through.
What’s the process for curating the objects and furniture?
I have been collecting things I love for a long time. Basically if I love it, I want to add it. The only problem is I keep finding things that I love!
Do you have a favourite item?
Depends on the time and occasion. I try to surround myself with only my favourite things, so they are all my faves.
Would you say your interior aesthetic and your design aesthetic is the same?
Absolutely. Like our clothing, our interior aesthetic is super easy style. You should feel as chill in our house as you do in our clothing. Comfort is key, whatever that means to you.
What about your style and the way you dress, does your home city influence this?
Most definitely. Hopefully you can see from the photos that we live where we love and love where we live. Same goes with my clothes. Camp High is what I love, and I live in it.
Do you collect anything?
Is that a trick question? Because I collect everything and love all of it!
In your opinion, what makes a house a home?
A house is just a structure and can be beautiful, but a home is where you want to be. The place you want to wake up. I love to travel as much as anyone, but as Dorothy said there is no place like home.
What is your favourite home away from home?
I really love NYC and Tokyo. I have so many friends there who make them both second homes.
Let’s talk about your ideal home. If you could live anywhere, where would it be?
This is it. Right here, right now.
Who would be your dream dinner partner?
Shaquille O’Neal. He seems super funny and I think we’d have a fun night.
What books do you have on your bookshelves? Any favourites?
I have thousands of books. I really love them, but mostly because of the pictures. What’s in front of me right now are: My Cool Camper Van: An Inspirational Guide To Retro-Style Camper Vans by Jane Field Lewis and Chris Haddan; Xerophile: Cactus Photographs From Expeditions Of The Obsessed edited by Cactus Store, Close Encounters Of The Third Kind by Steven Spielberg; and The Universal One by Walter Russell.
What do you always have in your fridge?
My favourite sodas – Grape Crush and Tahitian Treat. And Coke Zero.
What’s your favourite local haunt?
We have two great spots in our neighbourhood that are within stumbling distance of our place. One is a great steak house from 1949 called The Golden Bull, and the second is none other than our favourite restaurant in the world, Giorgio Baldi. At Baldi we all became super tight through the pandemic when we used to hang out there in the parking lot while they were doing takeout, and then we started doing select pop-ups together during COVID. It was really a bright spot during some tough times for all of us, and for that reason it’s a really special place and relationship.
Finish this sentence. To me home is…
To me home is where you want to be right now.
Photography by Jonathan Middleton
Styling by Sally Bottomley
Interview by Georgia Graham
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