We’re assuming your overzealous addiction to fashion isn’t quite being met at the moment considering the fashion graveyard that is DIFC. No sooner had we mourned a fashion death, that in the next nano-second-come-fashion-cycle a new name was born - we call it Charlie and Sam. A website from the shores of Brooklyn, charlieandsambrooklyn.com is right up there with the likes of Net-A-Porter and Boutique1.com. And they deliver to the UAE!
Sisters and stylists, Daniela Parker Bowles and Claudia Argiro, are behind the site which they developed as an addition to their Brooklyn based store of the same name, Charlie and Sam. And these girls know their cotton’s from their rayons! No strangers to fashion Daniela and Claudia were practically born into the field working for their parents who own the famous South Florida boutique, Moda Mario. Now the pair have branched out on their own and following the success of their Brooklyn-based boutique, which just celebrated is first birthday, they joined the online market. Shannon Wylie chatted to Daniela and Claudia about why celebs love their store, how they’re making a fashionable impression online and what Daniela has instore for her own clothing line.
SW (Shannon Wylie):We've heard that celebrities adore you shop and style?
DC (Daniela and Claudia):We are fortunate that our regular celebrity clientele are also people who’s style we so admire and have done for a long time, including Claire Danes, Whitney Port, Josh Hartnett, Hugh Dancy and our dear friend, Moby. Great people and great dressers.
SW:Which celebs have you dressed in your own label and at which events?
DC:Hugh [Dancy] is a big fan of Daniela’s Charlie and Sam skinny ties and his wife, Claire Danes has one of Daniela’s Grace jackets. Josh gets his shirts from us.
SW:What made you decide to go global with Charlie and Sam?
DC:It was a mix of dream and necessity. Since opening a year ago, we knew that we had captured a customer base that were looking for something new, something fresh, something out of the generic department store range. But the calls and emails began to come from further afield – not just from the States. We were getting faxes from Perth, Australia. A lady from Florence was desperate to get some of our tops in time for summer! We knew we had to do this and quickly.
SW:How does Charlie and Sam compare to other online stores?
DC:The reason we named the store Charlie and Sam is more than a gimmick. True, it is the name of our dogs and, yes, they are in the store every day but they actually represent the feel and mantra of the company. Relaxed, friendly, welcoming and warm. We want our customers, both in store and online, to feel comfortable and attended to at their own pace. Too often online stores are stark and soulless, whizzing you thru to the checkout. We offer a dialogue with our fans and encourage them to engage us to find them the right piece for them. No rush.
SW:How easy is it to order online and how long does delivery take to the UAE?
DC:Our online shop is very easy to navigate. We use PAYPAL to securely and safely accept Credit Card payments. Items shipped to the UAE will cost $60 flat rate shipping fee and ship via UPS. All customs, duty and taxes will be charged to the customer separately from the shipping company. These rates cannot be determined beforehand and differ with each country so we ask our International customers to take care of these costs.
SW:What are your favorite labels and that we can buy online?
DC:We love Twinkle by Wenlan's great prints and silhouettes, Elizabeth Gillett scarves and jackets, Siwy Denim jeans, Maggie Ward silk pants. We were into Siwy even before Kate Moss became obsessed with them!
SW:Are all of your brands American? If so, why?
DC:Quite the opposite. We are looking for anything that excites us worldwide. As well as our assortment of emerging and exciting local and domestic labels, we love our Repetto shoes from France, our Bettina Hats from Italy, Arth Hats from Japan, Italo Ferreti Ties from Italy and many others as far afield as Australia. We continue to look as far afield as we can. We love the mix of local Brooklyn handmade items to international independent designers not found anywhere in our area.
