British accessories designer Charlotte Dellal, founder of fashion label Charlotte Olympia, has spoken on her career in fashion. Charlotte was studying fashion design at London College of Fashion when her tutor turned her on to accessories as her focus point. She explained that she used to create detailed accessories and suddenly realized her passion was footwear and other accessory designs:
“Then my tutor pointed out I was designing accessories for every outfit. So I went to Cordwainers College [it specialises in leatherwork], and once I physically made my first shoe, I realised that was what I wanted to do. I also test the shoes myself. What kind of female shoe designer would I be if I made uncomfortable shoes you couldn’t walk in?”
Charlotte says she isn’t in to minimalism and thinks “more is more”. She believes women need to dress up and add more accessories to their outfits. Known for putting an elegant twist on novelty ideas, Charlotte also likes to make very “feminine” items for women that can serve a purpose in their wardrobes too:
“I like to accessorise my accessories. More is more for me. It’s easier to tone things down than dress them up. There is subtlety, though. My fan bag might have a novelty aspect, but it’s taken from a beautiful feminine object. I want to make beautiful objects wearable.” The designer comments that the glamorous side of fashion is what attracted her to the profession and it’s something that has always inspired her: “I’ve always loved glamour. Glamour got me into fashion.”
