If you solid your eyes over the hunched shoulders of the FROW at Fashion Week, the backs of commuters on the tube or alongside the coat hooks at your native gastro pub, possibilities are you’ll spot a vibrant furry assertion coat by none apart from London favorite, Charlotte Simone.
After launching a decade in the past, the Brit model’s signature silhouettes are immediately recognisable; one hero model, the fake suede Mongolian fur trimmed ‘Penny’ Afghan coat, has change into an prompt signifier of cool-woman credentials amongst Gen Z, Millennials and even Boomers alike.
These coats are even synonymous with A-listers – simply ask Madonna, Gigi Hadid, Taylor Swift and Dua Lipa. But Charlotte (Simone) Beecham, 36, truly began out with one small easy accent.
Gigi Hadid carrying Charlotte Simone
‘It all began with a furry rainbow scarf. Since then it’s grown into coats and jackets, however to its core the message nonetheless stays the similar; that we’re making an attempt to raise the on a regular basis with only one thought of piece,’ says Beecham.
After rising up in Camden, Beecham studied English Literature at NYU. Her timeless designs mimic the power and elegance present in Manhattan and our personal capital.
‘I plugged away in New York for a year before coming home and I would say that’s when issues most likely began to get going for me.’
But what was a profitable 70% wholesale enterprise mannequin, was thrown into chaos in a single day by the Covid lockdown.
‘My biggest customers at the time were Matches, Net-a-Porter, Selfridges and Neiman Marcus. But in the space of 48 hours I basically lost every supplier in a crazy domino effect. I received a tidal wave of order cancellations. Luckily, the silver lining was that I hadn’t put through their orders with my factories yet.’
But armed with an iPhone, Beecham saved her enterprise and set the ball rolling for her new drop system of supplying inventory. ‘Seemingly overnight I had basically lost the business that I had spent almost seven years building, which was really scary. So I decided to go down to the office, take pictures on my phone and just sell the coats directly to my customers on Instagram instead.’
Taylor Swift carrying Charlotte Simone
It was a enormous success. ‘This social platform is actually how I have managed to amass a real community and a close following of people who are invested in the brand.’
Today 90% of consumers store Charlotte Simone on their cellular. And what makes her fluffy, seventies impressed coats so wanted is her finite on-line drop system. With her staff of 4, every drop takes round 9 to 10 months to design and produce. And with solely three possibilities a 12 months to get your arms on her fabulous designs, the inventory sells like scorching muffins.
Having tried myself, I might say securing considered one of these should-have coats is akin to securing a Glasto ticket. ‘At our last drop in September we managed to sell out about 70% of the styles in the first hour,’ she says. ‘We went live at 8pm and by 8.01pm we had over 20,000 people on the site. It was really exciting.’
Each 12 months Beecham prepares for 2 winter drops, one in September, adopted by one other in November, however the third drop in March sustains the entire mannequin. ‘That third drop is the archive, which is where we will sell all our development pieces, one-of-a-kind stock and any surplus press pieces or celebrity loans, ’ she explains.
Dua Lipa carrying Charlotte Simone
When I ask if Beecham has desires of a bricks and mortar operation, she’s adamant that’s not in her future. ‘It’s not one thing I dream about or that excites me to be trustworthy. I really like the digital group that we have constructed by way of Instagram.’
So what can we anticipate in her extremely anticipated anniversary drop? ‘As a 10 year full circle moment we’ve reintroduced some of those signature styles that I started with, including The Rainbow Twist scarf.’
Beecham goes on to explain her temper board and the woman she imagines in her designs; ‘bold, confident, unapologetic, with an edge of sexy energy. She’s a siren, I assume.’
Florence Pugh carrying Charlotte Simone
No doubt this subsequent drop of 17 items will evaporate too. What units this outerwear model aside, is that its nostalgic designs attraction to my twenty-odd 12 months outdated friends and even my granny’s buddies, too. There aren’t many manufacturers that may attest to having this impact on its prospects.
As Beecham has been getting ready for right now’s last drop of 2025 she’s additionally anticipating her second child, ‘we’re calling it “Drop 3” of the 12 months. I’ve been taking an Amazon deck chair with me on all our location shoots so I can attempt to sit down between photographs.’
If you don’t discover her on location she’ll both be strolling or indulging in a few episodes of The Real Housewives; ‘trash tv relaxes me. But walking is probably my biggest form of therapy.’
Secure your individual winter strolling coat under – earlier than it sells out.
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