Caroline Charles
Caroline Mary Charles OBE (born 18 May 1942) is a British fashion designer.
She was born in Cairo, Egypt, to British parents Noel St. John Fairhurst and Helen T. Williams. From a young age she loved fashion. She left school at sixteen and studied at Swindon Art School from 1958 to 1960. She trained at Michael Sherard’s couture house, then worked with Mary Quant, and spent a year with photographer Tony Rawlinson.
In 1963, at the age of 21, she started her own Caroline Charles label. She became a leading designer during the 1960s American demand for young British fashion. She traveled widely with her Mod designs, visiting 36 cities and organizing fashion and pop shows. She appeared on television in the US and the UK, including a 1964 episode of To Tell the Truth.
Her clients included Mick Jagger and Ringo Starr (for whom she designed), Marianne Faithfull, Diana, Princess of Wales, Cilla Black, Barbra Streisand, Cherie Blair, Anne Robinson, Helena Kennedy and Lesley Garrett. Emma Thompson wore a Caroline Charles creation when accepting her Oscar for Howards End in 1992.
The Guardian praised the label for its beautiful, classic cuts, high-quality fabrics and careful craftsmanship. Hilary Alexander called her “the thinking woman’s designer.” Charles was awarded an OBE in 2002. Her memoir, Caroline Charles – 50 years in fashion, was published in 2012.
As of 2017, the Caroline Charles label had stores in London, Cheltenham, Tunbridge Wells, Wilmslow and Exeter. She lives in Knightsbridge, London. She was married to environmentalist Malcolm Valentine from 1960 until his death in 2016. They had two children, Kate and Alex.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 04:24 (CET).