Three reasons why I adore Charlotte Olympia (apart from her amazing shoes)

by Marlies Dekkers
You’ve probably seen Charlotte Olympia’s super sexy killer heels; on stars like Dita von Teese and Beyoncé, and all over the red carpet. Like Christian Louboutin, her motto is: ‘The higher the heels, the better it feels’, but the half-Brazillian, half-British designer (33) likes to add a playful touch like cat ears, astrology signs, pom poms or naughty comic book heroes. I especially like the actual heels of the shoes, with some being shaped like tequila shotglasses, others like scantily dressed pin-ups. Thank the lord for The Outnet, because Charlotte Olympia can be an expensive obsession! But did you know the woman behind the brand is just as fearless and sexy as her designs?

Here are 3 reasons why:

1-She believes in indepedence.
Charlotte never wanted to work for anyone else and had already even created her logo –her name underneath a golden spiderweb- while at college.

2-She believes in day time glamour.
The designer looks like a ’40s Vargas pin-up girl, and not just on the red carpet. She wears her bright red lipstick and Veronica Lake style waves from morning to night and is not afraid to finish her look with matching gloves, hats and handbags. It was her fabulous Brazilian-born mother Andrea, the famous fashion model known as ‘Rio’ in the 1980’s, who instilled a deep love for old school glamour in Charlotte. “I remember a closet filled with Alaïa, Yves Saint Laurent, costume jewellery, sequins, feathers and all those fun things,” Charlotte told Vogue UK.

3-She believes in having it all.
Charlotte was one of four herself and always wanted to have ‘both the business and the babies.’ Ironically, taking into consideration her hyper feminine designs, she’s had three boys with her husband, financier Maxim Crewe since she started her business in 2007. Even when she’s chasing her sons, the designer is dressed to the nines in a black sheath dress and fishnet tights, though she will swap her usual ‘Dolly’ heels (6 inches high) for more practical footwear. “That’s exactly why I designed the Kitty flats!” The secret to finding the right balance between motherhood and career success? Charlotte doesn’t believe in a magic formula. “Get on with it. Just wake up and use the day.” My kind of girl.

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Maison Marlies blog

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Marlies and friends

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