Meet CEO and Creative Director Charlotte Olympia Dellal!
Charlotte Olympia Dellal
a&e had the pleasure to chat to the beautiful and inspiring mother-of-three.
Luxury shoes and accessories designer, Charlotte Olympia Dellal began designing because of her innate love for fashion and dressing up. Charlotte took her passion to London College of Fashion Cordwainers, the world-renowned college for footwear and accessories. Here, she was able to explore her interests, alongside technical training and craftsmanship, to design beautiful shoes. Soon after graduating, Charlotte launched her eponymous London based shoe brand in January 2008.
Charlotte Olympia designs have become synonymous with classic sophistication and meticulous attention to detail. Inspired by a bygone era of old Hollywood glamour, iconic styles such as the Dolly with its signature ‘island’ platform, the distinctive Kitty flats and perspex Pandora clutch box are in keeping with the brand’s feminine design philosophy.
All designs are handcrafted in Italy using only the finest materials and each shoe is finished with a signature gold spider web on the sole. They’ve become design classics and desired by celebrities and stylish women across the globe. The brand continues to expand to include not only captivating heels but also an array of flats, boots and accessories.
There are four seasonal collections a year as well as Encore (a permanent collection of signature silhouettes), Runaway Bride, To Dye For, Cosmic, Incy, Tailor Made and 9 till 5. There are also her recently launched collection of leather handbags to consider.
Charlotte Olympia enjoys a growing international retail presence with stores in Mayfair, Manhattan, Beverly Hills, Miami and Hong Kong as well as online. Her range of designs are also stocked in some of the world’s most prestigious retailers including Harrods, Bergdorf Goodman, Neiman Marcus, On Pedder, Isetan, Printemps and Beymen.
How would you describe the DNA of the brand?
Old Hollywood glamour has always been the essence behind my brand. I just love the glamour of the 40s and playfulness of the 50s.
Among the various collections I’m seeing here the world of interiors collection caught my eye, as it’s very unique, tell us more about it.
The inspiration is a feel of a midcentury home. I love midcentury furniture. Everything is quite clean but with feminine touches. Let’s say it’s a fusion of clean lines with a bit of Rococo touches.
Who is your Charlotte Olympia customer?
Women that dress from their feet up. Women that are not afraid to experiment.
If we look at all your designs this season we feel that it is a happy collection; to what extent do you think the mood affects a designer’s creativity?
You have to feel a bit of yourself in every collection you design. That’s why it goes back to what we said about the DNA. As a female designer, I try to design for other people in mind but you can’t help but design from within. If you’re feeling happy you do happy things; if you are romantic you design a romantic collection. Yes, definitely the mood plays a big role in affecting the spirit of the collection.
Tell us about your Bridal collection, when did you first launch the collection and who is the Charlotte Olympia bride?
My first bridal collection was launched after I got married. Suddenly as a bride everything bridal stands out. At that time there was a space in the market for bridal shoes. Not every bride is a traditional bride and not every bride wants white satin peep-toe shoes. Some brides want to show a bit of their personality. Shoes were always an afterthought for a bride. I am not saying a bride should choose her shoes first, but shoes are like lingerie, it is very personal. I got married with leopard print shoes.
In my collection, I have white shoes, of course, for the classic bride. But I also have fun bits, the signature elements, shades of pink, red and blue. I actually started making shoes for my friends when they got married and that’s why most of them are called after their names. It made me more confident to see that it’s not only me who wants leopard prints.
Tell us about the Cinderella shoes for the Disney Movie?
This was a very exciting and challenging project to work on, and I love challenge. For me, it was doing it in my signature silhouette with a modern take on a Cinderella shoe. I did a platform focusing on more glass rather than crystal embellishment. We did a couple of bags to go with it. One was called Timepiece and looks like a clock that shows the time before midnight with a little shoe clasp. It was very special.
Let’s talk about you, how did you start this journey, and when did you come to know about your passion for designing?
What got me into fashion is glamour. It was from a very early age. My mom was a model and I always used to go backstage. It was a fascinating phase in my mind. I love the buzz behind getting things together. I’ve always loved old glamour and old movies. I had a very glamorous grandmother who came from that era.
When I was very young I thought I wanted to be an actress but then I knew that I wanted to be a designer to create the whole look and feel of a movie star. So I went on to do a degree at London College of Fashion and I studied ready-to-wear and corsetry designing. My tutor noticed that I designed accessories for each dress rather than just the dress and he suggested that I learn the craft of making shoes as it is a very technical craft. After I made my first pair shoes I knew it all made sense to me.
You have kids shoes here among the collections, tell us more about it.
I launched this collection after my third child. It was the right time and I’ve always wanted to do it. A lot of my designs are playful creations so they can be children shoes. The collection is a miniature of classics. You’ll see designs like the kitty collection, leopard prints and rainbow shoes. But going forward, I will be introducing a boys collection next year.
What’s a strategy you follow when it comes to the growth and expansion of your brand? And how do you value the Middle East as one of your markets?
My strategy is focus rather than conquer. The Middle East is always a very important market for us, especially Dubai where it’s a melting pot. It’s such a cosmopolitan city. Women there I guess have the same philosophy as me. They love glamour!
Define the brand in three words.
Glamorous, feminine and humorous.
Can we expect a men’s line soon?
It would be a bit hard, I love challenge but it’s not a big focus for me. I’m a woman so I know what women like. I make a few designs for men like smoking slippers and now we’ve launched trainers. I’ve made a complimentary collection. A Charlotte Olympia woman has a husband, a boyfriend and a son – so why not dress the whole family.
