In Conversation with Charlotte Olympia

One of my favourite aspects of being the Official Blogger for London Fashion Weekend is hearing stylist and blogger, Martha Ward, interviewing top industry insiders. I love getting a sneak preview of the real people behind brands we know and love. I wrote this after hearing the interview with Charlotte Dellal, designer and owner of Charlotte Olympia.

“I love spiders because they have 8 legs and can wear more shoes,” claimed renowned shoe and accessory designer Charlotte Dellal. The lady behind the eponymous brand Charlotte Olympia (Olympia being her middle name) intrigued me, particularly when she revealed that her signature web design was inspired by the children’s book, Charlotte’s Web. Such humour, straight talking and playfulness are a rarity in a designer.

Undoubtedly Charlotte’s personal style permeates her brand. Self-confessed romantic and lover of the 40’s and 50’s, she never steps outside the house without her hair set into 1940’s waves and her signature red lipstick. As a mother of three boys I was tempted to ask her how she manages that, but managed to resist. She embodies the type of glamour she grew up with, the glamour of her grandmother. It is evident in her work today.

Old black and white movies were a childhood staple for her. From a young age she was convinced that being a fashion designer was her destiny, though at one point the lure of the silver screen was stronger. For a fleeting moment Charlotte decided she wanted to become, not an actress, but a movie star. She recalls being invited to a fancy dress party as a child, and longing to go as Marilyn Monroe. The lights of Hollywood were clearly always calling.

Charlotte did a foundation course at the London College of Fashion. It was here that her tutors noted her talent for designing footwear and accessories. For every outfit she drew, she designed shoes, bag and a hat to match. She went on to complete the London College of Fashion’s Cordwainer’s footwear design course. Charlotte explains: “There is something quite nice about making shoes, making something sculptural with your hands.” Ever inspired by glamour and the ultra feminine, her aim was simple: to make a shoe with the highest and thinnest heel she could. For her graduate collection she had the option to have her shoes produced. Being half Brazilian she managed to find a factory to make her collection on a family holiday to Brazil. It was, to quote: “a huge learning curve.”

Whilst being interviewed it became clear that Charlotte has always had a strong vision of what she wants in terms of aesthetics and business. Owning a business with her name on the inside of a pair of shoes was always the aim. The next step, post graduation? To find a factory to with the correct hand and ability to translate her design long term. Eventually she found a factory in Italy, which she still uses today.

From a business perspective the most defining moment in Charlotte’s career was when Sarah Jessica Parker, posing as Carrie Bradshaw, wore a pair of her shoes to the premiere of Sex in the City. As a young designer, if you get the right person wearing your shoes it’s great visibility. But Charlotte emphasised that she wants people and celebrities to wear her shoes because they love them, as you really can’t buy that kind of advertising. On a more personal note, opening her first store in 2010 was a huge achievement. Ever since she was a little girl Charlotte had imagined the smell of the room, the flowers she’d display and what her bags would look like. It was a real opportunity to invite her customers into her world, show them her philosophy and give them a touch of magic. Last year she had her first show at London Fashion Week, a huge achievement for a footwear and accessories designer. Her design philosophy is that her shoes: “look beautiful off the foot as well as on.” Seeing a shoe worn in a catwalk show somehow grounds the shoe; the lobster shoe doesn’t look as flamboyant when it’s walking.

Like most designers Charlotte gets inspiration from all walks of life. In fact, some of her most iconic pieces are actually everyday items reimagined as an accessory, the croissant bag or the perfume bottle bag to name two. She also credits places as a real inspiration. For her it’s not about recreating reality. In fact 99% of the places a collection is derived from and inspired by she’s never have visited, including China and Mexico. Not having been somewhere allows her to dream a little more about what it might be like, because for Charlotte it’s all about celebrating the cliché.

Clearly, mid-century design, Hollywood and American Romanticism all play their part in the aesthetic. The iconic kitty shoes, worn by Alexa Chung, were actually inspired by Agatha Christie, of whom she is a huge fan. She took the smoking slippers that the men of that era wore and turned them into little cats. Charlotte loves to delight her customers with little surprises in her shoes. For example, she created a pair of boudoir slippers that had a little poodle beneath the feathers. It’s a secret that only the wearer knows.

Charlotte Dellal is a lady who believes that “every woman should own a pair of red shoes and a lipstick.” I think we could all do with living a little in Charlotte’s world, where romanticism and femininity rule and reality is somewhat suspended, even if it is only for a while.

Visit Charlotte Olympia’s store online at uk.charlotteolympia.com