Bethany Williams' FW22 "The Hands That Heal Us" Collection Champions Sustainable Practices
Debuting the collection in a film, lookbook, and exhibition.
Bethany Williams has returned for Fall/Winter 2022, presenting her latest collection “The Hands That Heal Us” in a film by Mae Sass and a complementing lookbook, which comes together in real life at London’s Design Museum in an exhibition titled Bethany Williams: Alternative Systems.
The sustainably-minded designer always looks at fashion through a personal lens, one that has previously touched upon “motherhood, childhood, sisterhood, and the family we choose,” to her SS20 collection that was inspired by a charity that works with homeless and disadvantaged people. FW22 is no different: “The primary focus of this collection are the many hands that touch our clothing throughout the making process, through the integration of artisanal and hand-crafted elements, in the form of weaving, knitting, printing, patchworking and embroidery. The life of each garment delicately passes through the hands of our intricate supply chain, and for that we feel immense gratitude to our makers, our tools and our team that surrounds us,” explains Williams.
As a result, four core themes have been explored this season — “Our Makers,” “Our Hands,” “Our Tools,” and “Our Team.” In short, this reflects on who makes the clothes, how they are made, and why they are made the way they are, which for Williams often circles back to her sustainable mindset. Here, organic, deadstock, upcycled and natural materials frequent the collection, with pieces made from sustainable dark indigo raw denim supplied by ISKO and crafted with denim experts ROAD, and even the buttons are unscrewable eco-finished metal ones to help the circular fashion system Williams adheres to.
Throughout “The Hands That Heal Us” you’ll find a utilitarian undertone, with garments featuring detachable pockets and modular design details to be mixed and matched across looks, while in contrast to this is formalwear in the guise of a tailored trench coat, wool overcoats, and vegan cactus leather jackets, and pajamas are now made from bamboo silk for a luxurious but more conscious approach.
A heritage houndstooth wool was woven in the Isle of Man at the family-run company Laxey Woolen Mill, harking back to where the designer grew up. Here, a signature San Patrignano woven textile appears to look like fur and has been used for the bags, which are finished with wooden handles, while more knitwear and textured pieces come in the form of the aforementioned patchworked tailored overcoat, a knitted abstract-graphic two-piece, another two-piece that’s contrasted with the addition of a skirt, and more.
Aside from this, Williams also presents a velour-looking tracksuit in burgundy and yellow, graphic hand-painted-effect shirts, denim overalls, and more. Take a look at the Bethany Williams FW22 collection “The Hands That Heal Us” in the lookbook and film above.
For more sustainable fashion, take a look at ZILVER’s SS22 collection which has launched at its just-opened London flagship store.
