Win VIP tickets

Charlotte Dellal loves leopard- print. She loves it so much that she always wears something emblazoned with it. Today it is her handbag, but she has to stop herself using too much of it in her shoes. “This year, I did something stripy and called it Hyena. I just couldn’t help myself.”
Whether leopard-print, satin, suede or sparkly, Dellal’s shoes are not for the faint-hearted. For starters, they are, as she points out, “all super-super-high heels”. Born of her own exotic life and aesthetic, they are shoes to go dancing in, shoes to shine in and shoes to wear for a decent bit of showing off. Her idea of the perfect specimen is “one that gets you noticed. If you get loads of compliments, you know you’re getting something right”.
It’s what you would expect from a girl who has moved with the jet set all her life. The daughter of the property developer Guy Dellal and his socialite wife, Andrea, a model and muse herself in the 1980s, Charlotte, 26, is one of three achingly cool siblings.
Her sister, Alice, is a model and It girl about town, and her brother, the Hoxton gallery owner Alex, is to be seen squiring his girlfriend, Charlotte Casiraghi, the granddaughter of Grace Kelly. So, no shortage on the glam front, then.
Having studied at the London College of Fashion and Cordwainers, Dellal moved straight into setting up her own label, trying, unsuccessfully, to establish production in her native Brazil, before eventually settling on Italy. For her, the secret of a good shoe is in the detail. There’s a pleat here, a piece of vintage fabric there, a ruffle on a heel or a mega platform, which makes each design unique.
It’s an approach that is clearly working, as her shoes have been picked up by Browns, Harvey Nichols, Dover Street Market and Net-a-porter — not a bad stockists list considering this is only her second season. “I find them kind of special shoes,” she muses. “They’re not your average going-out shoes. They’re shoes you can put on display.”
Which is not to say they shouldn’t be worn. Normally, Dellal wouldn’t be seen dead in anything but a pair:
“I always, always wear high heels.”
But, unfortunately for her, at five months’ pregnant, that is proving difficult. “At the moment, I’m not really allowed to wear them,” she says. “My mum tells me off. But I guess it’s good for my feet to have some time off. Well, nine months off, actually.”
Luckily, for us, the same does not apply.
Win a luxury weekend to Newcastle and its neighbour Gateshead, find out more here
Risk, resilience and embracing new technology
Industry sectors news at a glance. Interactive heatmap, video and podcast
Discover the power of collective thinking. Submit a solution and be in with a chance to win a Media Hub Home Entertainment System
The inside track on current trends in the charity, not for profit and social enterprise sectors
Everything the Business Traveller needs to know to make a better trip
Make the most of the summer and enter our fabulous photographic competition, you could win a £5000 holiday
Corsica is an island of beauty and contrast, an ideal holiday destination
Enjoy further reading from Travel to Fashion, Business to Sport, discover more
Shortcuts to help you find sections and articles
The clever way to lease a new car is with Car leasing made simple™
2009
per month on 36-month
Personal Contract Hire (PCH)
2008
42850
Car Insurance
£23,093 - £56,211
The Office for National Statistics
Newport, South Wales
£60,000
The Environment Agency
Bristol
Up to £90K
Boots
Midlands
OTE £85k
Credit Protection Association
Nationwide Opportunities
Completely London
Luxury Condo's in Manhattan with NYC views
The best new homes in Wimbledon?
Nationwide
Fabulous Cruise And Cruise & Stay Offers Including Virgin Atlantic Flights Prices Start From Only £699pp!
Last Minute Cruise And Cruise & Stay Offers. Med From £499pp, Caribbean From £699pp!
5 star quality at a 3 star price.
8 fabulous Canadian cities ...you won’t find cheaper
Contact our advertising team for advertising and sponsorship in Times Online, The Times and The Sunday Times, or place your advertisement.
Times Online Services: Dating | Jobs | Property Search | Used Cars | Holidays | Births, Marriages, Deaths | Subscriptions | E-paper
News International associated websites: Globrix Property Search | Property Finder | Milkround
Copyright 2009 Times Newspapers Ltd.
This service is provided on Times Newspapers' standard Terms and Conditions. Please read our Privacy Policy.To inquire about a licence to reproduce material from Times Online, The Times or The Sunday Times, click here.This website is published by a member of the News International Group. News International Limited, 1 Virginia St, London E98 1XY, is the holding company for the News International group and is registered in England No 81701. VAT number GB 243 8054 69.