British designer Charlotte Beecham established Charlotte Simone right after finishing university. “I started with a vision board in my dorm room at NYU and never thought I would end up here,” she tells Hello! Fashion. “When I was younger I would always spend my money on one accessory to lift everyday looks, one piece that would make jeans and a white T-shirt look special… It was from there that the idea of statement scarves was born.”
Her iconic aforementioned scarves quickly drew an impressive and almost cult-like following back in 2014, spotted draped around the neck of any fashionista worth her Insta feed, including Alexa Chung, Olivia Palermo, Poppy Delevingne and Rita Ora. “I used bold shades and varying textures to make them stand out from the crowd. I also took this leap of faith around the time Instagram launched. I was lucky that the bold designs were quickly noticed on the platform and that Instagram wasn’t overly saturated at that time,” she explains.
The brand's core focus remains on playful designs in their signature cheerful colourways. “I’m always inspired by street style, London ladies in particular but my one constant is my grandma's wardrobe. This season's 'Candy’ jacket is modelled off her bolero. Look out for the 60s curved silhouette and candy coloured hues.”
MORE: The Fashion Insider Diary: Noor Al-Rahim
RELATED: Savannah Miller is launching a brand which screams ‘Quiet Luxury’
With the onset of COVID-19, the brand swiftly adapted its approach to fashion, embracing sustainability and thoughtfulness. They now produce styles in limited quantities, ensuring a meticulous and small-scale production process. “Watching my wholesale business crumble overnight sent me into fight or flight mode. I had time, for the first time in years, to sit back, reflect and consider what Charlotte Simone was and where I was headed. It was then that I realised I had got lost in the maze of wholesale demands and deadlines.”
Under the new approach, Charlotte Simone releases limited edition collections available for online purchase for just one week. “I went back to why I started and realised it was for the love of it all! I realised I wanted to create less but better. Focusing on my core customer base, nurturing that community and dedicating time to designing beautiful pieces that last longer than a season.”
Each collection is eagerly anticipated, and the brand invites customers to join them on this journey toward a more conscious and creative fashion industry by emphasising quality over quantity. “We now take around eight months to design and develop one drop and offer only two ‘Winter Drops’ a year. Before Covid I was designing four collections a year, with three to four month intervals in between. The shift is drastic, it results in a more considered, curated and creative collection,” says Charlotte. They believe in creating fewer items, but of superior quality, underlining the philosophy that good things are worth the wait.
MORE: The Fashion Insider Diary: Camilla Elphick
RELATED: I Wore My Wedding Dress To London Fashion Week And This Is How It Went
“We launched ‘Winter Drop 1’ on Thursday at 9pm and saw a rush of online traffic,” explains Charlotte of her latest collection which will only be live until October 12, “Over 7,000 people tuned in to see and support, 50 per cent of our stock had sold in the first hour, it’s overwhelming to feel so supported and also so positive about our message and direction.”
Collaborating with artisans in London for sampling and materials has reduced the brand's shipping impact while supporting local businesses in the London area. “I think small changes make all the difference. We focus on taking our time to design and develop collections,” reveals Charlotte, “We use local seamstresses for aid when it comes to pattern cutting or sample making. We ensure our packaging boxes are recycled and made locally, we try and purchase units that are limited in quantity so as to limit waste. We do what we can as a small business but also as a conscious business.”
To stay updated on collection launches and exclusive releases, customers can sign up for the brand's mailing list and follow them on where it all started… Instagram. “I use it like a diary, you can see more insight into the inner workings of CS. Being behind the Instagram account keeps my finger on the pulse, customers tell me what they love, want and feel they need… We find our customers are now also looking for less but better. This is now what we try to do, we want a Charlotte Simone to be a wardrobe staple, a statement piece that’s seasonless.”
