If you cast your eyes over the hunched shoulders of the FROW at Fashion Week, the backs of commuters on the tube or along the coat hooks at your local gastro pub, chances are you’ll spot a colourful furry statement coat by none other than London favourite, Charlotte Simone.

After launching a decade ago, the Brit brand’s signature silhouettes are instantly recognisable; one hero style, the faux suede Mongolian fur trimmed ‘Penny’ Afghan coat, has become an instant signifier of cool-girl credentials among Gen Z, Millennials and even Boomers alike.

These coats are even synonymous with A-listers – just ask Madonna, Gigi Hadid, Taylor Swift and Dua Lipa. But Charlotte (Simone) Beecham, 36, actually started out with one small simple accessory.

‘It all began with a furry rainbow scarf. Since then it’s grown into coats and jackets, but to its core the message still remains the same; that we’re trying to elevate the everyday with just one considered piece,’ says Beecham.

After growing up in Camden, Beecham studied English Literature at NYU. Her timeless designs mimic the energy and style found in Manhattan and our own capital.

‘I plugged away in New York for a year before coming home and I would say that’s when things probably started to get going for me.’

But what turned into a successful 70% wholesale business model, was thrown into chaos overnight by the Covid lockdown.

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‘My biggest customers at the time were Matches, Net-a-Porter, Selfridges and Neiman Marcus. But in the space of 48 hours I basically lost every supplier in a crazy domino effect. I received a tidal wave of order cancellations. Luckily, the silver lining was that I hadn’t put through their orders with my factories yet.’

But armed with an iPhone, Beecham saved her business and set the ball rolling for her new drop system of supplying stock. ‘Seemingly overnight I had basically lost the business that I had spent almost seven years building, which was really scary. So I decided to go down to the office, take pictures on my phone and just sell the coats directly to my customers on Instagram instead.’

It was a huge success. ‘This social platform is actually how I have managed to amass a real community and a close following of people who are invested in the brand.’

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Today 90% of customers shop Charlotte Simone on their mobile. And what makes her fluffy, seventies inspired coats so sought after is her finite online drop system. With her team of four, each drop takes around nine to ten months to design and produce. And with only three chances a year to get your hands on her fabulous designs, the stock sells like hot cakes.

Having tried myself, I would say securing one of these must-have coats is akin to securing a Glasto ticket. ‘At our last drop in September we managed to sell out about 70% of the styles in the first hour,’ she says. ‘We went live at 8pm and by 8.01pm we had over 20,000 people on the site. It was really exciting.’

Each year Beecham prepares for two winter drops, one in September, followed by another in November, but the third drop in March sustains the whole model. ‘That third drop is the archive, which is where we will sell all our development pieces, one-of-a-kind stock and any surplus press pieces or celebrity loans, ’ she explains.

When I ask if Beecham has dreams of a bricks and mortar operation, she’s adamant that’s not in her future. ‘It’s not something I dream about or that excites me to be honest. I love the digital community that we’ve built via Instagram.’

So what can we expect in her highly anticipated anniversary drop? ‘As a 10 year full circle moment we’ve reintroduced some of those signature styles that I started with, including The Rainbow Twist scarf.’

Beecham goes on to describe her mood board and the lady she imagines in her designs; ‘bold, confident, unapologetic, with an edge of sexy energy. She’s a siren, I guess.’

No doubt this next drop of 17 pieces will evaporate too. What sets this outerwear brand apart, is that its nostalgic designs appeal to my twenty-odd year old peers and even my granny’s friends, too. There aren’t many brands that can attest to having this effect on its customers.

As Beecham has been preparing for today’s final drop of 2025 she’s also expecting her second baby, ‘we’re calling it “Drop 3” of the year. I’ve been taking an Amazon deck chair with me on all our location shoots so I can try and sit down between shots.’

If you don’t find her on location she’ll either be walking or indulging in a few episodes of The Real Housewives; ‘trash tv relaxes me. But walking is probably my biggest form of therapy.’

Secure your own winter walking coat below – before it sells out.

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