Charlotte Olympia Dellal on shoes

Charlotte Olympia Dellal on shoes, shopping and sushi

The British footwear and accessories designer graduated from Cordwainers college, and worked with Emanuel Ungaro and Giambattista Valli before launching her own label in 2008. Inspired by Hollywood glamour and film noir from the 1950s, Olympia Dellal is known for her playful designs, such as fan detailing, kitty motifs and spider’s webs. The designer currently lives in London with her husband and three sons, and was in Dubai earlier this year to promote a capsule luggage collection that she created in collaboration with Globe-Trotter.

If you could wake up anywhere in the world tomorrow, where would you be?

I would wake up with my husband and three children, – I am happiest with my family –maybe in Brazil, my home away from home. My mum’s from there, and I don’t visit as often as I’d like.

Your perfect meal: where would you be and what would you be eating?

I love food, so this is going to be a hard one. Japanese food is my favourite, so I might want to wake up in Rio and have lunch in Japan. There’s a great robata grill place in Tokyo called Inakaya East, or maybe I would be eating sushi...

How would you define luxury?

It’s quite an elusive term, but I think it is the freedom to choose what you want, when you want it. Some days, luxury may be spending hours on getting my hair perfectly set; on other days, it may be going for a swim in an ocean in Brazil and leaving my hair soaking wet. Also, I think a lot of it is experience – the process is as important and luxurious as the product.

And the most overrated luxury, in your opinion?

I have a very close relationship with my phone – it allows me to travel, work and keep in touch with my family at the same time. But I don’t want to be connected all the time. I don’t want to get an email asking: "Have you got my previous email?" Also, last night, I had to call the hotel staff because I could not figure out how to switch off the lights. So sometimes the ritual of doing things yourself is a luxury, and technology can be overrated.

Your favourite place in the world to shop?

Online, all the way. It’s a contradiction to my previous response, but it’s true. I know what I like and want, I know my size, I know the brands whose aesthetics I admire. It’s also a great place to discover brands and emerging designers that are not available in your hometown. I get impatient, though. I may not need a thing I’ve ordered today, but I really, really want it to arrive today.

What was the first luxury item you bought?

A pair of bamboo and Perspex shoes from Tom Ford for Gucci, which I only wore once, but I still have them. Growing up, I spent all the money I had or made on shoes. To me, shoes are a part of the memories you make when you have them on.

What does your dream home look like?

For me, a home is always a work in progress. The place I live in now has grown with me. We moved in with one child, and now we have three. I like that it has the stuff I brought with me and the stuff my husband brought, and the things we bought together. Also, I have a wish list that I check off and add to. My latest buy was a giant lips vintage sofa, from the 1970s, which is inspired by the Dalí design.

Are you a collector?

I collect art, mainly photography, and beautiful pieces of furniture. I love decorating the walls – they are relatively safe to do up in a house with three boys.

If you were stuck on a desert island, what three things would you want with you?

I always carry my sketch book and multicoloured pen, so I can write, draw and come up with ideas. I also like my creature comforts, so I’ll carry a cream with SPF so I can moisturise, although I would make my own lipstick with berries. And finally, a book set – is that cheating?

What was the last book you read?

I read two actually. I like rereading books, and I’m a big Agatha Christie fan. She’s so easy to read. I also like biographies, and I finished one on Mae West on the flight to Dubai. I also like to read authors from the countries I am going to visit, so a Japanese author is up next.

And the best piece of advice you’ve received?

Be yourself – it’s really not a cliché. Also, to do things at the right time. If it does not feel right, it probably isn’t. This could apply to your business or your relationships, but even to the most menial things, like your wardrobe. If you don’t like it, don’t do it or wear it.

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