Charles Darius, Objets d’Art

Editor – Justin Howard @jthnomad

Designer – Charles Darius @charlesdariusofficial

“Simplicity is the keynote of all true elegance.” – Chanel

Charles Darius takes the modern concept of ‘Objets d’Art’ and puts a thoroughly appropriate French twist on it. As a designer, he says it’s about creating a bespoken lifestyle that instantly creates an atmosphere of extravagance, fantasy and refinement. He urges people to show their style by using these beautifully crafted artifacts as a social platform to express themselves in a fashionable way. Since the launch of the Charles Darius collection a little over two years ago, the line has been an instant hit with his iconic ‘Bolt’ bracelet – a wearable high-end jewelry piece that just happens to charge your iPhone, raising over a hundred thousand dollars on Kickstarter on a forty-thousand dollar goal. Pieces from the collection have graced the necks of celebrities like Katy Perry, Cameron Monaghan and Katherine McNamara. Charles also wants people to experience the spiritual aspect of life by wearing his pieces that are inspired by sacred art such as Tibetan mandalas.

Charles Darius, Objets d’Art

Black Chalk : Did you want to become a designer when you were young?

Charles Darius : No, to be honest, I don’t think I really knew what a designer was. If I recall properly, I first wanted to become an archeologist, and then wanted to study bio-engineering and nanotech.

Black Chalk : What do you enjoy the most about designing?

Charles Darius : For me, it is first about the intellectual process (aka “Design Thinking”) that goes into designing a piece. It is basically the methodology we go through to solve complex problems. It requires understanding the entire paradigm in which lives the intended artifact and discovering a series of pieces of information which will help us define and help create the final piece. Ultimately, it’s seeing how an idea turns into a cross-pollinization of knowledge, skill and craftsmanship that finally turns from the magical thought into something real.

Black Chalk : Who’s your most influential fashion designer?

Charles Darius : Alexander McQueen.

Black Chalk : What was your inspiration for your latest creations?

Charles Darius : Basically it comes from wearable fashion and how we can seamlessly integrate the necessary technologies to facilitate our daily lives within a truly fashionable accessory.

Black Chalk : How do you see the positioning of LA fashion in a global scenario?

Charles Darius : The city naturally attracts some of the best minds in so many synergistic industries from entertainment, to design, advertising, tech, manufacturing, finance… I can only imagine LA becoming an even stronger creative platform for the industry.

Black Chalk : What do you believe makes for a good design?

Charles Darius : It lies primarily in being well targeted. If the people you intend it for cannot relate to it culturally, emotionally or technically, whatever design you made is worthless.

Black Chalk : Any advice you want to share?

Charles Darius : Believe in yourself, test your ideas until they work and make it happen, regardless of how many step-backs you may encounter; a setback is a way to improve, you just have to push through.