The British creative mind and circularity pioneer returned to the city one year after securing the Fabric of Life award, grateful towards a town that holds a very special place in her heart.

Last November, Bethany Williams made her first public appearance after several years of suffering from chronic illness, when she received the Designer of the Year prize at the Fabric of Life award in Borås. This fall, she wrote about “navigating life and creativity” throughout those years in the October issue of British Vogue.

– The text was about my personal recovery and the experience about it, she says. I also wrote about my first solo art exhibition in London with the Bethlem Gallery, where I launched a body of work with light sculptures, ceramics, textiles, furniture, and paintings.

We met here a year ago. What has happened since?

– I'm still obviously living with a chronic illness, but I'm well enough to live a full, normal life, which is great. Coming here last year was my first thing back, which I felt was such a special moment. 

– This year, I was invited back. I really enjoyed the experience last year, and it’s been so nice to come back as a guest and reconnect with the other designers and the team. It's become a really special place, Borås, and really nice having a connection with Sweden, to which I hadn’t been before.

– It's been really interesting seeing the Swedish School of Textiles, the facilities here, and the sustainability education. It's really, really impressive!

And designers spend a lot of time alone in their studios, so meeting other designers and exchanging ideas and experiences can be so fruitful.

– Definitely. It's always good to stay in touch and have friendships with other designers. There's more power in numbers, isn't there?

What’s next for you?

– I'm working on another show for next year, a bigger show as an artist, and also on two collaborative fashion projects, which will launch next year. I try to be in both fields, teaming up with cultural organisations, specifically, working on commissions and also helping brands with their circularity work through my consultancy.

Open to work.

– Exactly, also emphasising the corporate social responsibility element and how that feeds into sustainability, and the combination between people and planet. It's not just about materiality but how you are interacting with the world socially, Williams concludes.

Words: Johan Magnusson, beauty-innovation.com