You may not have heard of Charlotte Beecham, or Charlotte Simone, as she’s more commonly known (Simone is her middle name), but you’ll definitely recognise her designs. If you’re in any It-girl kind of place, chances are you’ll spot a few sporting the brightly coloured scarves that have helped turn her label into an overnight success, placing fun, playful designs firmly back on the fashion agenda.
Available in an assortment of bright colour combinations, Beecham’s designs are the type of accessories destined for the kind of night out that last to the wee hours of the morning, but work just as well to spruce up an outfit by day too.
‘I saw a gap in the market for scarves that could be more than just practical,’ she says, as we sit in her slick office and design studio, a stone’s throw away from the trendy Chiltern Firehouse restaurant in Marylebone. ‘Knowing how to accessorise is always something that interested me. In the world of accessories, I saw room to explore the scarf; to experiment with materials, shapes and shades and make the scarf act as a statement accessory and the type of piece would choose to invest in, in the same way they do a pair of shoes or a handbag,’
And invest they certainly do: Rita Ora, Daisy Lowe and Alexa Chung are just a few of the names often spotted touting her wares. Don’t be fooled, though. If celebrities are wearing her accessories, it’s because they’ve discovered them on their own. ‘It’s definitely been an organic process,’ she says of their ubiquity. ‘I love it when anyone falls in love with the brand, whoever they are. It just so happens that I have been fortunate enough for some of my fans to be in the public eye.’
There have been many highlights for Beecham since she launched the label back in 2011. Even she admits – albeit with a chuckle – that’s it been a crazy past three years. What started off as a small range of fur-lined hoods has evolved into a fully-fledged label and, despite her respective inexperience, she has business nous beyond her years. Harnessing the power of her social media presence, today, more than 40 per cent of her sales are driven by social media. Then there is the string of stockists – of which she has many. Think Saks Fifth Avenue in New York, Holt Renfrew in Canada, Harvey Nichols and Matches in London and Net-A-Porter for the rest of the world.
Despite London’s reputation for housing some of the world’s best fashion colleges, Charlotte left the city for Manhattan to study at NYU, a move she holds responsible for where she is today. ‘The streets almost buzz with excitement and the city pushes you to go for it,’ she says, animated.
She cut her teeth interning at small brands like Charlotte Ronson but eschewed going the usual route, working for another brand and went alone fresh from graduating. ‘New York taught me to toughen up, it made me just go for it,’ she explains. ‘I started sampling the fur lined hood in my senior year of college. By the time it came to graduating I was itching to put my ideas into practice and give it ago. I was just tired of sitting in boardrooms, taking notes; I was desperate to get going and be the boss of my own idea.’
But it wasn’t always easy. ‘In truth it was a long road of isolation and determination but I really believed in my idea. I drove up to Long Island to meet stores; I took a train to Boston; I turned up at the Bloomingdales HQ; I flew to Aspen; I really did everything to get in front of as many buyers as I could.’
[show_shopthepost_widget id=”517326″]
‘My first retailer was a small boutique store in the West Village. I rolled my suitcase of scarves into the store, met with the buyer, got all my sales figures wrong and ended up securing what I’m sure was a sympathy order! To sate the lovely store still houses Charlotte Simone.’
For those coming fresh to the Charlotte Simone look, she sums it up as ‘fun, fluffy accessories, which keep you warm but also make you stand out from the crowd.’ Her upcoming 2015 collection – she only has one collection per year – was inspired by a recent trip to Tokyo. ‘I was entirely seduced by the kitsch shades, playful prints and bold fashion out there,’ she enthuses. ‘I spent two out of my three day trip in the Harajuku district. I ate crepes, braided my hair, stuck sparkles on my face and snapped my camera away, happy as anything. It was impossible not to be inspired; I have never been anywhere where all your senses are brought to life like that.’
Her signature designs are available in both faux and real fur but with the controversy surrounding the use of fur, she’s conscious not to be classed as a fur brand. Where the worlds of real and faux fur were worlds apart, though, lately that’s changed and the quality of her faux designs is just as luxurious as the real thing.
Such is the cyclical nature of fashion that, after the success of her signature bright popsicles, the industry is now waiting to see what Beecham comes out with next. ‘I welcome the pressure,’ she says, without hesitation. ‘It pushes me to think outside the box.’ She’s already made tentative steps into new territories with the Bon Bon, a fluffy handbag she designed in collaboration with Rita Ora’s stylist Kyle De’Volle, which is currently available now on Net-A-Porter. Watch this space…
