Charlotte Simone Is Bringing Back the Archive, but Not as You Know it
We speak to founder Charlotte Beecham about how the business has evolved, the power of authenticity and why Alva Claire was the perfect choice for her new campaign.
With just three drops a year, it’s no surprise that fashion fans are constantly on the hunt for a piece of Charlotte Simone. The London-based label was founded back in 2011 and over the years, has amassed what can only be described as a cult following because of its incredible silhouettes, waiting lists and unique drop mechanic.
Now, the brand is opening up its archives to allow us the chance to shop our favorites, but not as we know it. Crafted from surplus fabrics, the Archive Drop features classic styles like the Gigi and Olive, but reimagined with new colorways and cuts.
At the link in bio, we speak to founder Charlotte Beecham about the success of the brand’s drop approach, staying authentic in the midst of AI and fast fashion copycats and where she sees the brand going next.
Read on for the full interview and head to the Charlotte Simone website to shop the archive sale.
We last spoke back in 2022 when the brand was venturing into puffer jackets. It’s a big question, but what’s changed for you and the business since then?
I pivoted the business model into a drop model. It was still very much in its infancy, and I was navigating that way forward since we last spoke. I would say that’s since evolved into just a more confident, bigger and better structure of what we tentatively put in place back then. We’re still working with a drop model, but it’s with more confidence and more assurance. We know what we’re doing and we’re building those drops out to be a little meatier and more considered in terms of product and execution.
As you’ve said, the drop model is an approach that Charlotte Simone still follows. Why do you think that’s continued to be so successful?
We actually work to three drops a year, so we’re only online available to buy three weeks out of the year. I think the reason that worked, and that we’ve seen success, is that I think people are looking for forever pieces. Good things are worth waiting for, and considered purchases are worth investing in. We like to design styles that feel timeless in silhouette and shade, and the idea is that you can purchase it and wear it season after season.
In terms of the creative process, then, how would you say that’s evolved over the years? How has the Charlotte Simone consumer evolved?
I think the brand has probably grown up quite a bit alongside me. I have journeyed into motherhood, and I’ve been at the front seat of the brand for a decade now. Last season, I really saw it grow up a little bit, and with the introduction of hardware and more considered materials. More sophisticated silhouettes and being bold in fabrications, and then also thinking about what I want to wear, you know, as a new mom. I want to be able to grab it, I want to head out the door, and feel like it’s lifted my look with minimal effort. That idea saw the introduction of motorcycle jackets and aviator-style jackets, silhouettes like that. It’s a mesh of my life and where I am as well.
Definitely, that makes sense. What’s the current timeline like? Can you take us through the process?
Our first drop is in September, and we start design and development around January for that drop. It is a very sort of slow and considered process, although, when you’re in it, it doesn’t feel slow, because we’re a small team, doing everything and being super hands-on. There’s obviously so much that goes into the 15 or so pieces that we end up taking to production, and that is storyboarded over a long length of time. A
nything on my mood boards, from pictures, quotes, fabrics, Pantone shades, anything and everything that I collect at the time. I’m a very visual person, so the studio has big mood boards with lots of things everywhere. I also like to buy a lot of things that I see if they’re inspiring, even if it’s just for a button. I love to have it physically in the office, so the back of our office is bursting with wardrobes of pieces that we’ve sort of collected over the years.
Love that. What’s the last thing that you bought that kind of indirectly influenced the design of something?
We went to New York, and I think it was at some stall in Soho, I bought a little ‘60 swing leopard print coat for the collar, and the shape was just amazing. It had this really cute little button. I can take pictures of lots of things, but I really like having it physically, like seeing and touching it and having it in the studio. I just think it’s so different. You stare at screens all day; there’s something so different about actually having it in front of you and being able to tangibly try it, wear it, touch it.
It makes a big difference! You’re about to launch the brand’s new archive sale. What sparked that idea?
Having the archive supports our way of working because it allows us to be smart and sustainable in the sense that we are not wasting the surplus stock or the development pieces. It’s a great opportunity for a customer to come onto the site and to see the whole journey of a year of Charlotte Simone.
A drop will traditionally only feature between 15 and 20 pieces, whereas the archive that goes live today will feature around 200 pieces. We say it’s like tutti frutti. It’s a lot there, all different kinds of shades, materials, shapes and fabrications. That’s what the purpose of the archive is, and it’s great for us. I think our customer also really enjoys being able to own something that’s maybe only one of five pieces, or maybe even just one of one.
How did you decide on what would be included? What have been some of the most requested silhouettes?
We didn’t actually bring anything back. That is kind of the idea of it. We’re just using it as a platform to offer our customers surplus stock or development pieces. There will be lots of variations of familiar styles and signature pieces like Lulu, Olive and Donna, and certainly lots of requested shades like pink and caramel. Some of our signature pieces are the ones that you’ll see a lot of in the archive, because obviously, we’ve tried a lot of different ways to redesign or redevelop them throughout the year.
Sounds exciting! And to celebrate the sale, you teamed up with Alva Claire for the campaign. What can you tell us about the decision to work with Alva?
I’ve been on the sidelines for a while, watching her content and her creativity, and I just think she’s such a personality. I personally really wanted to work with her. And then, of course, at Charlotte Simone, we design for all ages, all sizes. I think it’s great to see the coats on a woman with curves, and for our customers to be able to see that as well. She looks absolutely mega.
She does, she looks insane. Earlier, you spoke about the importance of physically feeling fabrics and having something tangible in front of you. In contrast to that, a lot of what we’re seeing in the fashion industry at the moment is things like TikTok shop and AI campaigns, and all of these fast fashion and designer collaborations. How do you stay focused and authentic amidst all of that kind of stuff?
There have been a few wavering points in terms of maintaining and staying true to the business model, whether that be being approached by a major retailer for a deal that seemed too good to be true, or whether it was Taylor Swift wearing one of our coats on the day that our store was closing. Both of those opportunities have made me like pause and take stock of what I’m doing and question if I’m making smart or right decisions.
But having worked in this way for about five years now, I feel so confident and so proud of what we’re doing and how we’re doing it, and I really think staying true to that message has allowed us to build a community and achieve great success in what it is that we’re doing. So to deviate from that, I worry that that’s not what makes Charlotte Simone special. As I said at the beginning, good things are worth waiting for. Sign up, hang on and hopefully it will be worth it. And if you want something fast, then there’s plenty of fast fashion out there.
Is it difficult to block out the noise as an emerging designer?
It’s definitely hard as a small independent label. I do find it still tricky to navigate when larger fast fashion brands copy us. I see a lot of copycats, and I’m only human, and it still feels really painful. It’s a hard pill to swallow, but I do try and stay focused. You can’t go forward if you keep turning back. At the very beginning, I would waste a lot of resource and energy that I didn’t really have, getting upset and trying to fight certain things. I’ve just realized with time and experience that my energy is better spent focusing on moving forward and what’s next. If there are copies, there are copies.
In the spirit of kind of looking forward and what’s next, what would you say is next for the brand? Are there any avenues that you want to explore that you haven’t already?
Well, it’s funny that you mentioned puffer jackets, because that was definitely something that we dipped our toe into the pond for, and it was received really well. I’m curious to navigate something near there and then I’m just looking at what new outerwear categories we can go for. What else is the Charlotte Simone girl looking for that’s missing in her wardrobe? Is it a trench? Is it a motorcycle jacket?
There’s still so much in the world of outerwear that we haven’t yet explored. More specifically, for September, we’re currently looking at maybe doing like a fleece. We’ve had a lot of requests for a Charlotte Simone fleece, and I think for September weather, that feels like a great transitional piece. That’s something that’s on the horizon right now, but it’s early days. We’re going to make a lot of mistakes and figure it out before we start steamrolling…
