NEW YORK — Charlie Paille has been modeling professionally for four years and as far back as she can remember has had a keen interest in how clothes are designed and produced. Charlie started making her own clothes at an early age and eventually studied fashion design at Collège LaSalle in Montréal, where she later graduated. Charlie’s career as a model and lifelong student of design converged in dramatic fashion during an eyeopening year she spent working as a fitting model for Francisco Costa, the Women’s Creative Director of Calvin Klein Collection. Day after day Charlie savored every moment spent working in the Brazilian designer’s studio, whose exacting processes from pattern to runway she studied eagerly.
Today, Charlie works out of her Greenwich Village studio on pieces for herself and close friends. Charlie’s creative process is no mere conceptual exercise, but in fact is focused on output. In particular, a garment’s wearability is immensely important to Charlie. “I go to the fabric store and I touch [the fabric] and feel it and I just close my eyes and I can imagine the clothes right away.”
Charlie is steadily creating more and more pieces as the weeks tick by and aspires to one day create an entire collection. She also sees herself collaborating with other designers. Either scenario or even both are plausible for so clearly a talented model turned clothing designer that is Charlie Paille.
