What’s in your bag, Charlotte Olympia Dellal?

“This bag is called ‘C’est la vie’ from my Spring 2013 Parisian-inspired collection, embroidered with Brigitte Bardot. It’s all about being a bit tongue-in-cheek, but also at the same time making a beautiful piece. It’s a favourite. It’s also a bag I think you can dress up or dress down, which is why I brought it on my travels. I like to be functional. It’s a magazine-inspired bag, so I’d like to think it can go with everything, because a magazine should go with everything, right? Every season I do a different magazine bag, they all have a different face on them, but she in particular is a favourite.”

“This comb-slash-lipstick mirror comes with the bag. It’s a handy, feminine touch.”

“My hairbrush, because it’s all about my lips and hair—if my hair is looking good and my lips are red, I feel somewhat normal. And it’s gold, which reminds me of my grandma. [She] used to have a set of these gold vanity pieces. I was very close to her, so when I saw a set, I bought it, and this is the miniature version.”

“I always like to carry a pair of sunglasses from an accessories standpoint. Sometimes it’s because it’s sunny, sometimes it’s just an accessory—whether I have them on my bag or on my dress or on my face. I collect vintage sunglasses so I always have a pair.”

“My M.A.C “Ruby Woo” lipstick. My little nail varnish for touch-ups—the reason I like this Mavala one is because it’s really tiny and a good colour. It’s called ‘Los Angeles’—I didn’t choose it for the name, maybe half of it was for the name, I love Hollywood. My hand cream, L’Occitane “Cherry Princess.” My little mirror which someone gave me because there’s a little spider on it. I tend to have a lot of spider things. Everything’s miniature that I carry around, because I don’t like to fuss.”

“My “Bruce” key ring. Bruce is a mascot in my store; he’s an original 1940s Art Deco leopard, which is like [waist height], which belonged to my husband’s grandmother, and I borrowed him—well, he’s mine now—for my store, because I love leopards. Now he’s on our phone cases, and an accessory on a bag and on a shoe. So it’s like carrying Bruce wherever I go. You’re never alone when you’re with Bruce.”

“Obviously, my phone. Everyone carries a phone these days—it’d be a lie if they didn’t. For me, for work, to speak on, to have apps for my kids to stay quiet. And my charger, because I’m always on the move and my phone is always dead. I have my name on both pieces of my charger, so no one can steal it, because people try to take my charger.”

“My business cards in the shape of a web, Charlotte’s Web, my logo. I guess [I was a fan of the book]. I also liked it because it has my name in it, which is probably why I really liked it when I was little. That said, I wouldn’t have gone with that if it was a bad book.”

“My stationary. My flat pen, my ‘this is not a pen’ I feel like saying. It’s a funny piece. I don’t remember [where I got it], the Conran shop in London, maybe. I always have a pen, because you always one to jot something down or draw a shoe or bag. Which is why I loved coming across this [Virgin Atlantic colour pencil], which is reminiscent of when I was little. When I’m on the move designing, I like having this because it’s like having a whole crayon thing in one.”

“Then I have my personalized cards, with my little shoes on them. You never know when you need to write a thank you card. Otherwise, I can use them for jotting ideas down. It’s two-in-one.”

“My handkerchief . Again, a bit of the practical person. You always need a handkerchief, or someone else may need your handkerchief, or you’ve got little boys who are not necessarily the cleanest sometimes—it’s good to have one to wipe their smelly noses and dirty hands. I’ve got a bunch of them. My husband gave me this one.”

“A photo of my boys in a frame that’s on a necklace. Another two-in-one thing. I can wear it or not wear it. I have it when I’m travelling. It’s a vintage Chanel necklace that I found in a Paris market. There’s Ray, Ike and Rio. They’re boys names, they’re old-fashioned names—Ray and Ike—from an era that I love. And then Rio, my mom’s from Rio. The trend was three letters, so we couldn’t give the third one four letters; it was either three letters or something really long, like Rumpelstiltskin.”