ART STORIES: Bethany Smith
talking with the artist, designer & creator themselves about their
chosen medium. Get to know the artist behind the items featured and
find inspiration in their personal stories of creativity. Today I would
like to welcome Bethany Smith to Vintage Indie.
Bethany Smith
After studying fashion in Winchester School of Art and graduating with a BA in Fashion Design from Winchester
School of Art in 2007, Bethany Smith is diving into the world of fashion with her own collection of handbags and accessories.
Hi Bethany, welcome to Vintage Indie. Can you tell us what your preferred medium is?
Vintage silks. The underlying issue behind my work is sustainability. So I use
a lot of reclaimed and vintage fabrics, sourced from eBay, antique markets and
charity shops. I get a lot of silks from my friend who helps run a church group
in India.
She brings me back a lot of sari silk, mainly seconds that wouldn’t make it
into the final cut of saris.
I am currently designing my autumn/winter collection which will include a lot
of vintage tweed and suiting.
Bethany's Studio
sustainability issues in fashion. My final collection was made from
deconstructed menswear transformed into elegant forties inspired women's
evening wear. My materials were widely sourced; including a WW2 silk parachute
As far as a family influence – I've always been a student of history (at school
and for general interest). I loved talking to my great grandmother who
traveled extensively and had so many beautiful photos of Chinese geisha's and
exotic artifacts. I have to thank my Great Aunties who are both creative and
are always sending beautiful fabrics; such as vintage suiting from the 1930s,
or tie silk from the silk mills near Cambridge.
Who or What inspires
you?
English eccentricity – I love the bizarre and unexpected.
Designers: Paul Smith for traditional tailoring. I worked
briefly for Hardy Amies and loved the traditions of Saville Row and tailoring
details.
Japanese designers: Comme des Garcons and Junya Watanbe for
their amazing construction skills and eye for quirky details.
Elsa Schiaparelli and Surrealism – I love to keep undertones
of the surreal in my work
I know have an addiction to antique markets/ charity shops/
car boot sales/ eBay looking for fabric and interesting objects to transform
into handbags and accessories. I recently turned some antique toy planes into
fascinators. My own wardrobe has doubled in size since I found Kingston antiques market.
I feel that Vintage adds something special to your work, as its unique and
should be treasured.
Every piece is unique. Its all hand made and sourced from
vintage or recycled fabrics.
Find out more about Bethany at her website Bee Smith
All Photos ©Copyright Bethany Smith Bee Smith Accessories
A special thank you to Bethany for sharing her beautiful work with us.
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Have a great day everyone, we'll see you back here tomorrow for a short post, a launch and then I'm off for the weekend to cater and throw a anniversary party!