Press

Charlotte has been selected as a mentor for 2011 Marie Claire Inspire & Mentor campaign! The campaign is covered in the June issue.

After co-founding lingerie company Myla, Charlotte Semler now runs her own company Charlotte and Co, which sells loungewear, nightwear and lingerie.

We caught up with her to talk inspiration and her experiences of mentoring ahead of our 2011 campaign.

What fired your ambition to start your own business?
I wanted to create a different brand with a new proposition to anything that was out there. There had never been a brand like Myla before, looking at sex in a classy way. Raising money was a major obstacle for us. Dealing with sex-related merchandise made it difficult to convince potential investors to come on board. It was much easier second time around!

What’s the best careers advice that you’ve been given?
Try and try again. There’s no substitute for hard work, but you also need a little bit of luck. When things start to go wrong, pick yourself up and start again.

What makes a good mentor?
Someone who makes you believe you can do it. A mentor needs to be able to give practical and constructive advice, as an entrepreneur.

More information can be found on their website:

http://www.marieclaire.co.uk/inspireandmentor/524167/charlotte-semler-2011-mentor.html

Essentials Magazine - March 

Among the products featured in their "Glamorous Nightwear" section were our best selling Cotton Flannel Pyjamas and our gorgeous Long Lace Chemise.

The Hill - Dec issue

Our Fabulous Metallic Leather Slippers were featured in "All I want for Christmas" - p.45

Read Article here

Easy Living Magazine - Dec issue

Our Fabulous Metallic Leather Slippers and Cotton Flannel Kimono Robe were featured in the "Present buying made easy" article.

Fashion's Night In: Are you ready?

We are taking part in VOGUE.COM's Fashion's Night on Monday 1st Nov, from 5pm.

Cotswold Style Magazine

October issue pages 74 & 75

See coverage here

Daily Mail - You Magazine

9th August 2010

 

Five years ago, Charlotte Semler faced one of the toughest decisions of her career. She could juggle being a new mother of twins with the 24/7 culture that went with her role as co-founder of Myla, the lingerie company she created with business partner Nina Hampson in 2000, or she could step off and start again. She is now based in Gloucestershire with her husband Chris West, a writer, and twins Caspar and Clementine, five.

Walking away from Myla was both the hardest and easiest decision I have ever made. By 2005, we had a successful business but we had simply run out of cash to keep going. I had also just been through a very difficult time with the conception and birth of our twins, so when the investors took over, I thought to myself, ‘You get one life and you’re no longer enjoying it.’ Chris and I also realised that the only thing keeping us in London had been Myla, so we relocated to the countryside.

I loved the creative (rather than management) side of running Myla, so in 2008 I launched Charlotte & Co, a small mail-order business offering lounge- and nightwear at competitive prices. Working from home meant I had no need for posh shops with expensive overheads, and keeping it small gave me the time to design things properly. Now, I have an amazing group of women working with me, and we balance the demands of caring for children with working from our own front rooms. There are no set hours but lots of communication via e-mail — it’s about having trust in people being able to do their job in a grown-up, flexible way.

Charlotte & Co, tel: 0844 499 3133, charlotteandco.com