BA (Hons) Textiles & Surface Design alumni Charlotte-Louise Jarps from Darlington has created a unique business showcasing the various ways in which graduates can cultivate fulfilling careers from textiles skills. Since graduating in 2014 Charlotte moved to London completing internships with international brands like Alexander McQueen before building her own business in the North East cantered around customising shoes, working with brands, delivering workshops and building a thriving social media account.

We caught up with her to understand how she has developed her career from graduating to business owner, read on to find out more!

Tell us about your first steps in the industry after graduation!

I did a few different internships whilst at University which really prepared me for work in industry. I won a competition through a project with Hallmark and got to work with them for 2 weeks designing cards and gift wrap. I also interned for a few months with Alexander McQueen in print design working on the Menswear team. I really enjoyed the digital print as well as the screen-printing process and the ability to be able to just experiment. After I finished the course I moved to London and worked for a few smaller fashion print design studios, I also interned at Zandra Rhodes and got to work on large scale prints and see these being developed from sketches and paintings into finished prints. I also worked in fashion styling working on shoots for album covers, magazines and websites. When I decided to move back to the North East I did my PGCE and started teaching Art and Design & Technology.

How did your business start?

Whilst teaching I started customising as a hobby, something for myself to be creative again. I had seen other people painting custom shoes and decided to give it a go myself. It was never something I imagined myself doing but it really made sense to me at the time, as it included everything I enjoyed, the design process, creating something unique, drawing and painting. I created my Instagram page in 2018 and then the commissions just sort of snowballed and I decided to take a risk and start the business full time. I quit teaching at the end of 2018 and then started Jarpz in 2019. It was a massive move for me because it meant starting from scratch, moving in with my mam to keep costs down and giving up a job that I had worked really hard for. Initially it was slow and I did worry that I had made a huge mistake. A lot of people didn’t understand, but I think I had a fire inside of me to prove everyone wrong and really make a success out of it. I also had nothing to lose and an opportunity to really create a niche for myself.

Tell us a little bit about your business!

I specialise in creating one of a kind, hand painted and embellished shoes. I also offer creative workshops, brand collaborations, live events and activations. In the future I would love to do more workshops and events with brands, to be able to share what I do with others. I am looking to host more school/ college/ university workshops as something I am really passionate about is showing how working in the creative industry is a viable option and that you can be successful in creating your own niche and do something you love. A huge goal of mine is to work with a brand and create a limited edition collection of custom shoes.

How important is social media to your business?

Social media is hugely important as that’s how people find me, I would say that 90% of my work comes through Instagram. I think the key is to really enjoy it and have fun with it. When building up a community organically it is very up and down and you cant let yourself get obsessed with the numbers. It’s obviously important to look at likes/ views to see what sort of content resonates with the audience, but don’t allow this to become a reflection of your self worth. It’s so easy to fall into that trap. I think just sharing your process and really being yourself helps to attract the right sort of people and also remembering that it is a journey to finding your own style and what works for you. My advice would be to not overshare and keep your private life private, make it about you, your work and your process.

You’ve worked with a lot of brands can you tell us about the kind of work you have been doing with them?

I have been lucky enough to work with some brands I absolutely love. A big one for me was Adidas, where I was invited to celebrate the Women’s Euro last year at their pop up event in Zurich, both at the start of the tournament and at the end. Each guest got something hand painted onto a pair of Sambas, chosen from a list of designs I had created. I have also hosted a couple of shoe embellishment workshops with Salomon working with Office shoes and also Offspring, these were lovely events where a small group learned how to create their own custom shoes using beading, applique and charms. Last year I worked with Clarks Originals on their 2026 preview, where guests customised a pair of Clarks wallabees.

A big moment in my business which was a turning point for me, was when I was approached by Salomon to host a workshop. I realised that we couldn’t do painting as it just wouldn’t work for that type of shoe, but I really wanted to work with them. So that’s when (scrolling Pinterest) I came up with the idea to create embellished shoes. For me it linked back to textiles, I have always loved sewing- both machine stitch and by hand, and it allowed me to go into a whole other area with my business.

Do you feel like your degree has helped you with your career?

I definitely feel that the Textiles and Surface Design course gave me the confidence to pursue a creative career. I wasn’t sure what area I wanted to be in, and it gave me the opportunity to try out lots of different things, learn many different skills and really explore who I was as a designer.

What is your advice to graduates starting out?

My advice to graduates would be that you don’t have to have everything figured out. Make sure you experiment and try different things! If you want to start a business make sure it’s something you’re obsessed with, something that you love, because on the days where you feel like giving up, you’ll need that passion to push you forward.

Any other projects coming up?

I have some exciting workshops coming up in the summer and I have collaborated with a brand to create my own print designs which I can hopefully share soon!

Find out more about Charlotte’s work and events on her website and Instagram: www.jarpz.com  IG: @jarpz_

Interested in studying textiles at degree level? Make sure you check out our exciting and innovative degree BA (Hons) Textiles & Surface Design degree which offers students exceptional studios, workshops, industry links and resources. Find out more HERE