KARL Chester has doodled ever since he could pick up a pen and now he has opened his own custom shoe and clothing store in Manchester.

The Latchford man started his business in his spare bedroom, with girlfriend Katie helping with the advertising.

“Katie is the sharp mind behind the business, I just do the art,” he joked.

Karl recently decided to rebrand his custom shoe company as Starline Customs and opened a shop in Afflecks in Manchester’s Northern Quarter.

The 26-year-old has had his work recognised by TOWIE’s Joey Essex and hopes to make the designs as popular in the UK as they are over in America.

Karl said: “I have always had a passion for art and shoes and I never thought of combining the two.

“I was on the way back from a holiday and had a bunch of art supplies with me and some shoes, so I started doodling.

“It gained a lot of attention on the train and it went from there.”

Karl can remember drawing on tables and walls as a toddler and as he got older, he spent maths lessons doodling on his paper.

“I’ve just always loved drawing and it eventually led to bigger things,” he said.

Karl started his business three years ago and originally focused on ladies’ heels and classic converse.

He added: “I decided to switch from Converse and heels to more upmarket shoe such as Nike and Gucci trainers.

“When you’re spending at least £400 on a pair of shoes the last thing you want is someone wearing the same pair as you.”

Karl can spend anything from a full day to a week working on one pair of shoes, making sure the bespoke design is of the highest quality.

The Afflecks unit will also stock paints and air brushes, so people can custom their shoes at home.

His company lets you bring in your own shoes for a custom design to be printed on or you can buy the trainers directly from Starline Customs.

Looking forward, Karl wants to expand the business further and hire a team to work on more bespoke designs.

This way, he hopes to create a more signature brand for Starline Customs and develop his own clothing line having already started doing jackets as well.

You can follow Karl’s work here by visiting starlinecustoms.com or instagram.com/starlinecustoms