Daniel Charkow was described as a ‘wildly creative’ shoe designer

THE family of a Canadian shoe designer have called for the stigma of mental illness to be addressed after he took his own life, with no sign that he was ill.

Daniel Charkow’s parents, his partner, his teachers and even his boss – world-famous shoe designer Sophia Webster – all say the 23-year-old “wildly creative” designer would have gone on to change the world of shoes had he lived.

Daniel was discovered unresponsive in his Old Street home in January after his partner and parents, based in Toronto, grew concerned having lost telephone contact with him the day before.

“I’ve lost this amazing, incredible person, but the world has lost him too,” said Angelus Ugale, known as AJ, referring to the incredible talent the world never got to see.

“He was such a unique person. I’d never met a person that creative and he was very dedicated to his work. At that young age he was able to go out and hang with friends and be a regular 18-year-old, however he made a lot of time for his shoes.

“And the way he carried himself, his style is not something you’d see in Toronto – it’s not a fashionable place! So I was like ‘Wow, this person had it together.’”

When Mr Ugale first visited the family home, he was stunned at how every available space was given over to Daniel’s creativity, with leather, patterns and his drawings covering its walls and floors.

A “kind and creative” child who loved all sports but particularly skiing, he taught himself gymnastics and had joined a circus club near his Islington home. He loved collecting vintage typewriters and bottles, while old records appealed to his “very nostalgic” sensibilities, said his mother Carol Charkow. He was a big fan of British pub culture and loved to rap in karaoke numbers.

Known locally for doing magic tricks, as a boy he would be booked to perform at birthday parties where he would wow the crowds with his finale: sawing people in half.

At 14, he came out as gay after his love for Lady Gaga inspired him to embrace her message Born This Way, his parents said. While he had always been creative – and a straight-A student in more traditional subjects – he became obsessed with clothes and fashion, like his idol.

Daniel’s mother Carol next to Daniel and his partner AJ alongside his brother Josh (in blue) with his fiancée Lia Norrie and his father Steven on a skiing trip to Ellicottville, New York, in 2020

He first visited London in 2016, with his brother Josh and his parents, and fell in love with the place, returning in 2018 to start a degree in shoe design at the internationally respected Cordwainers in Barbican.

“He was so excited about London,” Ms Charkow said.

“He was like, ‘This is where I belong. This is where it’s at fashion-wise.’ The more he lived there – and he had spent a summer in New York as well – he realised he belonged to London and we realised it too. We fell in love with it too.”

When he graduated from the Cordwainers with a first, he was awarded the Jimmy Choo award from the university and won the Worshipful Company of Cordwainers’ Cup of Excellence. Even during his studies he was working, and went on to get a job with Ms Webster after graduating.

“He had to turn work down,” his father Steven Charkow said.

“He would’ve been a world-famous shoe designer. Everyone around him would come up to us and say he’s so unique, he’s got an eye, he’s got a talent they’d never seen in any other student at his level.”

Ms Webster called him “an incredible talent” who was “prolific” in his work.

“Outside of his design work for us,” she said, “he hand-made shoes for private clients and major fashion week shows. He impressed me daily with his creativity, curiosity and drive. But beyond this, Daniel was a beautiful, kind soul and just genuinely lovely to have around.”

His family said they were “completely blindsided” by his death. Ms Webster felt the same.

“We are a family business with a close-knit team who have lost their friend,” she said.

“The depth of shock, sadness and total confusion that we have experienced since is difficult to express. I feel blindsided by his decision, he had everything going for him – the brightest superstar.”

Cordwainers course leader Sarah Day described him as a “much-loved” student whom people “miss so much”. “His talent shone through everything he did,” she added.

“He was intelligent, sensitive and wildly creative and his love of shoemaking was inspiring to so many of his peers and tutors alike. He won swathes of awards in recognition of his talent and he had a super future in front of him.”

As a company, Sophia Webster plan to honour Daniel by creating a shoe in his name, “as he deserves”.

“I hope anyone who hears Daniel’s story and recognises themselves in it can find the strength to confide in someone,” Ms Webster added.

“It breaks my heart to know he was silently facing such darkness. I would have done anything in my power to help if I had even the slightest inkling and the feelings that reverberate from those ‘what ifs’ haunt me.”

His father said his death highlighted the importance of “not keeping things inside”.

“When you see people ending up doing what Daniel did, 99 per cent of the time there’s an obvious history of mental illness, signs of depression, signs of anxiety,” he added.

“Daniel had nothing. That’s the message we would love to share with the world – speak about things, you have to express your thoughts to get the help that you need.” Ms Charkow said while the “stigma” around mental illness has lessened, more change was needed.

“Isn’t mental illness comparable to cancer of the brain?” she asked. “People need to know they have a safe space where they can share without being judged.”