The royal and household ties behind India Hicks’ shoe assortment for Penelope Chilvers

King Charles‘s goddaughter, India Hicks, has joined forces with the royally-approved accessory brand Penelope Chilvers to create a capsule collection.

The resort range, comprising four staple shoe styles, was designed for Tuckernuck, a Boston-based platform that showcases high-end international labels, including Penelope Chilvers.

Speaking of the partnership, Ms Chilvers tells MailOnline: ‘India is a long-standing muse for me, representing timeless, elegant style. Having launched many successful shared designs, I was delighted when she invited me to create the footwear for her first clothing range with Tuckernuck.

‘The American concept of a resort collection dropping before Christmas dreams up travel to warmer hemispheres, an enticing concept for me because normally at this time of year we are busy selling boots to the US snow season.’

Ms Hicks adds: ‘It was important that we did not stray too far from everything Penelope stood for, each mini collaboration we have undertaken needs to feel very much at home in her stable of footwear, whilst weaving my stories into the styles.’

The union between India Hicks and Penelope Chilvers is an ideal partnership, particularly given the strong family connections within the accessory brand.

Ms Chilvers’ two daughters, Africa and Gemma, are actively involved in the business, reinforcing its family-orientated ethos. 

Additionally, the new collection draws on the architectural influence of Ms Hicks’ father, David, further intertwining their creative legacies and adding deeper significance to the venture.

Although both Ms Hicks and Ms Chilvers grew up in the small village of Brightwell Baldwin in Oxfordshire and their parents were friends, the pair only met in February 2022. 

Their introduction came through Ms Hicks’ husband, David Flint Wood, sparking the collaboration that led to their capsule line. 

‘He had been friends with Penelope when they were teenagers in London. She phoned him after all these years asking if I would be interested in meeting up for a drink,’ she explains.

‘I was interested. I wore her boot and shoe brand. They were crafted in Spain with great consideration. They were beautiful, timeless and no-nonsense. 

‘After the first pint in The Shepherd’s Hut, Wallingford, I discovered Penelope was all those things herself. By the second pint, we were sketching ideas on the back of a napkin.’

The new range consists of four key styles: £189 ‘Madame G’ sandals in tan, £179 ‘Faro’ slides in bitter chocolate and £199 ‘Palladio’ pumps in both cognac and navy, available exclusively at penelopechilvers.com and tnuck.com in the US.

Each design is inspired by Villa Verde, a grand house built in Portugal in the mid-1980s by Ms Hicks’ father for his clients Amin and Nahid Ghani.

As an accomplished architect, interior designer and landscaper, David Hicks left a lasting impact, commissioning artwork, designing furniture and shaping the character of the property. 

Ms Hicks fondly recalls her favourite room in the house, where her father’s creative genius came to life: ‘Madame Ghani’s suite, comprising a bathroom, bedroom and boudoir, runs the entire length of Villa Verde, every inch of every wall is covered in apricot cotton. 

‘The tester bed is lined with that fabric; the walls of the suite are entirely hung with it; hanging storage is curtained in it. For a small girl it felt like a fairytale bedroom.’

This is what influenced the sleek ‘Madame G’ sandal, making it Ms Hicks’ top choice in the collection. 

This design holds personal significance, reflecting both her aesthetic and the special memories tied to her father’s architectural work. 

She explains: ‘Inspired by the elegant Madame Ghani and her splendid stately home, this is a sandal with smooth edges and a sleek silhouette. The curved gold ring was added for decorative impact like so many moments found inside Madame G’s home. 

‘I will wear this with jeans in the city on a warm spring day or with an evening dress in the Bahamas over the Christmas holidays. Madame Ghani says she will wear her pair year-round, like slippers!’

Meanwhile, her mother, Lady Pamela Hicks, has a preference for the timeless ‘Palladio’ pumps.

Made from buttery-soft leather, these classic shoes were designed with Villa Verde’s terracotta, stone and wood floors in mind. Just like the house, the shoes are stylish and seasonless, combining elegance with practicality. 

‘My mother has much admired the ‘Palladio’ pumps, which we have created in chocolate brown and navy blue. In fact, they are rather reminiscent of those very flat pumps worn by Grace Kelly and Audrey Hepburn,’ she says. 

This particular design is beloved by Ms Chilvers, too. ‘I can wear them in London, Paris and Texas! And I’m excited to wear them on my trip to New York next month,’ she adds.

Meanwhile, the ‘Faro’ slides – Ms Hicks’ personal take on a double strap sandal – are perfect for leisurely beach strolls.

The moc-croc leather design features a comfortable, moulded cork sole, finished with leather piping. They also include adjustable gold buckles for a touch of versatility and style. 

Ms Hicks fondly recalls how her father’s influence made its way into her first home: ‘When I moved into my first apartment in London, my father had a heavy hand in guiding it’s decoration.

‘A tented bed, in David Hicks fabric, complete with matching bed cover, cushions and vanity chair (vanity chair, like I was a little old lady!). The sitting room was also strictly David Hicks, geometrics, old and new furniture, and, of course, the inevitable tablescapes.’

She also found herself unknowingly replicating elements of his signature style in her second home, from his love for clean lines to his attention to detail, creating a heartwarming tribute to her father’s influence. 

‘When moving to New York in my 20s to live and work, now an ocean away from my family, I thought, “Right, bloody decorative freedom,” and on my paltry student budget off I went to the flea market.

‘Once finished, I stood back to admire my freshly decorated home, and was astonished to find a David Hicks inspired loft before my eyes. 

‘Fire engine red walls, geometric rugs, Louis XV fauteuils and, yes, side tables and desktops with disparate and somewhat eclectic groups of objects, all certainly valueless in every aspect, other than the fact they seemed to imply “You can’t escape”!’

Today, her sons sport matching tattoos – a discreet geometric letter designed by their grandfather. It’s a touching symbol of their family’s creative legacy and the bond that unites them.

‘The David Hicks DNA is never far,’ Ms Hicks concludes.