Designer Crush: Charlotte Olympia
I first met Charlotte Dellal, the incredibly talented London-based designer behind Charlotte Olympia, last September after the House of Holland show at London Fashion Week. I was photographing a friend of hers outside the venue, when she joined and I took pictures of both of them, while we bonded over our matching oversized hair-bows and Minnie Mouse before a fleet of street style photographers came in for the snap. Charlotte is a knock-out herself, with an incredible sense of style (check out the Vogue UK gallery on her personal style for further evidence). From that moment on - I became obsessed with her shoes and accessories, anxiously awaiting new additions to her collection, with their part cheeky and part old Hollywood glam personality. It must have been kismet because this past fashion week when Charlotte Olympia previewed the Autumn collection, my friend Briony twitpic-ed a photo of the FW11 Kitty shoes to me, (swoon).
Her amazing (and often knocked-off) fruit salad/ Carmen Miranda shoes are easily the most recognizable from her line, and also the perfect example of her architecturally savvy and whimsical design sensibility. I think my biggest problem with her pieces is being able to pick a favorite (impossible!) which makes finally buckling down and deciding which pair to invest in extremely challenging; even her stockings and signature earrings are calling my name. I suppose from a designer's perspective, that is a really good problem to have.
What do you think of her designs? Do you own a pair of Charlotte Olympia shoes, or is there one you're particularly lusting after? If nothing else, I encourage you help me decide on a pair for myself, (any pair, any season)! I'm determined on taking a pair home as a souvenir from her Mayfair boutique, whenever I find myself in London again.
PS: Thank you to TeenVogue.com for featuring me!