Isabella Charles

Early Life

Charles has been obsessed with fashion for as long as she can remember. She used to dress and style herself when she was younger which eventually turned into an interest of making her her own clothes with her first sewing machine. Charles made garments that she felt represented her. During her teenage years she eventually realised that she wanted to pursue a career in fashion.

At the age of 15, she showcased several looks at a student runway show, where she was approached by a photographer to shoot the collection. Using these early photos, she published a portfolio on social media as her first public move as a designer.

Charles was later approached by more photographers and stylists, which gave her a strong set of connections within the industry. Her work was later published internationally and in Australia. Charles also pursued other creative endeavours such as sculpturing, photography, and digital manipulation. Charles’ grandparents used to own an ostrich farm when Charles was younger. Her grandmother gave her black ostrich leather that she could use in her work, which has since become another material that is synonymous with her brand.

Career

Charles initially started the brand as a passion project.
During her studies in London during the COVID-19 pandemic — she experienced the lockdown period where hands-on classes were difficult to come by. It forced her to gain practical experiences by working from home, which in turn made her gain individual characteristics within her craft. Charles has worked on collections for Berlin, Paris, and Australian Fashion Week.

Charles for a brief period lived in Berlin in 2023 — where she worked for two brands whilst simultaneously trying to work on her eponymous label. Charles eventually moved back to Australia in order to focus on her own brand. She has also interned for fellow Australian designer, Gail Sorronda, whom she still works with till this day. Sorronda was the first person to show her the inside of the industry and is one of her key inspirations.

She was nominated for the We the Makers Sustainable Fashion Prize in 2025, for her look ‘The Hunter’ which was created entirely from uncut deadstock leather. It featured a backless asymmetric skirt which could be worn in multiple ways. The leathers used featured goatskin and kangaroo leathers.

Style

Her designs adopt unconventional silhouettes, whilst playing with elements of both femininity and masculinity. Charles loves to mix different fabrics in her garments such as sheer and leather.

She points out that there’s definitely an architectural influence in her designs and that she’s inspired by certain fabrics and silhouettes. With her original concept sometimes evolving into a different design; showcasing her adaptation skills.

Charles is an avid user of kangaroo leather that she sources from a local farm. The usage of scuffed up and scarred up pieces gives her pieces a sense of individuality — highlighting the characteristics from the leather. Kangaroo leather has since become a staple fabric in her pieces and in her collections. Ostrich leather is another type of material that has been used in some of her work.

Themes

Charles’ is an avid explorer of alternative aspects of fashion. She experiments with avant-garde designs and has a nonconformist approach to trends. Charles is heavily inspired by gothicism which is a common theme throughout her work.