Charlotte Fiell


Charlotte Jane Fiell is a British writer and design historian who has written about design, architecture and fashion. Many of her books and articles have been co-authored with her husband, Peter Fiell. In 2010, The Independent described her and her husband Peter Fiell, as "Britain's most stylish couple", who had "spent two decades educating the public about good contemporary design".
Her works include 1000 Chairs, Design of the 20th Century, Industrial Design A–Z, Scandinavian Design, The Story of Design, 100 Ideas That Changed Design, Women in Design, and Ultimate Collector Cars. She has curated design exhibitions in the United Kingdom, Italy and China, and lectured worldwide.
WWW fiell.com

Early life and education

Fiell attended St Michael's Preparatory School and later Roedean School, where she immersed herself in art, followed by sixth form studies at Branson's Commonwealth College in Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts, Quebec. After an arts foundation course at Heatherley School of Fine Art, she shifted focus from fine art to art history, studying Renaissance art in Florence before earning a BA in the History of Drawing and Printmaking at Camberwell College of Arts. While still an undergraduate, she met her future husband, Peter Fiell in 1988 who shared her love of design. She then completed a postgraduate diploma with distinction at Sotheby's Institute, where her interest in design history deepened. Around this time, she also began collecting Arts and Crafts furniture and metalware, gaining hands-on insight into design.

Career

After connecting with publisher Benedikt Taschen, Charlotte and her husband Peter Fiell focussed on design authorship, producing books including 1000 Chairs, which was released in 1997. In her time with Taschen, she published or edited 38 books on art, design, and architecture. Fiell was Taschen's editor-in-charge, overseeing works like the 12-volume Domus 1928–2000 series.
In 2007, the couple launched Fiell Publishing, releasing titles like Plastic Dreams and Tools for Living, along with works by other authors. In 2010, their Aesthetic Movement-inspired sitting room was featured in The New York Times.
Fiell Publishing merged with Carlton Publishing in 2012, forming Goodman Fiell. She then released The Story of Design in 2013. The book was praised by Museum of Modern Art's curator, Paola Antonelli and was included in James Dyson's top 10 favourite books list. Fiell continued publishing acclaimed works in the late 2010s and 2020s, including Women in Design with daughter Clementine—highlighted by the BBC and Library Journal. This was followed by 100 Ideas That Changed Design, which challenged conventional design thinking.
Most recently, Fiell has published an Ultimate Collector series, beginning with the 2021 book Ultimate Collector Cars. The book received global recognition and press coverage, and was followed by volumes on motorcycles and watches. Fiell is a long time trustee of the Guild of Handicraft Trust and its related Court Barn, Museum of Craft and Design. Since 2018, Fiell has also been pursuing a PhD on Charles Paget Wade, exploring neurodivergence and collecting, in collaboration with the University of Reading, which was co-supervised by The National Trust.

Personal life

Fiell lives in Chipping Campden, Gloucestershire, with her husband and co-author Peter Fiell. They have two children.

Selected publications

  • Modern Furniture Classics since 1945
  • Modern Chairs
  • Charles Rennie Mackintosh
  • 1000 Chairs
  • Design of the 20th Century
  • William Morris
  • Industrial Design A-Z
  • Decorative Arts – 6 volumes
  • Designing the 21st Century
  • Scandinavian Design
  • Graphic Design for the 21st Century
  • 1000 Lights
  • Design Handbook: Concepts, Materials, Styles
  • Domus 1928–2000
  • Design Handbook: Concepts, Materials, Styles
  • Contemporary Graphic Design
  • Design Now!
  • Plastic Dreams, Synthetic Visions in Design
  • Tools for Living: A Sourcebook of Iconic Designs for the Home
  • Hairstyles: Ancient to Present
  • Fashion Sourcebook – 1920s
  • 1930s Fashion, The Definitive Sourcebook
  • Chairs: 1000 Masterpieces of Modern Design, 1800 to the Present Day
  • Masterpieces of British Design
  • Memories of a Lost World: Travels through the Magic Lantern
  • 1940s Fashion, The Definitive Sourcebook
  • New Graphic Design, The 100 Best Contemporary Graphic Designers
  • Masterpieces of Italian Design
  • The Story of Design
  • Lightopia
  • Fashion of the '70s
  • Robert Welch Design: Craft & Industry
  • Design Museum: A to Z of Design and Designers
  • Samuel Chan: Design Purity + Craft Principles
  • Modern Scandinavian Design, 1925 to present
  • 100 Ideas That Changed Design
  • Women in Design – From Aino Aalto to Eva Zeisel
  • Contemporary Chinese Furniture Design – A New Wave of Creativity
  • Ultimate Collector Cars
  • Essensualism – Shang Xia + The Craft Spirit of Chinese Design
  • Ultimate Collector Motorcycles
  • Ultimate Collector Watches