Lou de Bètoly is a real artist. The level of craftsmanship and elaborate textile work that goes into her delicate couture-like creations is simply stunning—more so if you consider all of this being made from pre-owned materials.
Under the creative direction of Tim Heyduck, the French designer showed her fall collection in the historic Spiegelsaal at Berlin’s Clärchens Ballhaus, where she had the models walk down some stairs and then around a solitary grand piano at the center of the room which really set the couture-ish mood.
Backstage, de Bètoly highlighted how, in her distinctive way of working, she isn’t starting with one fixed theme or motif in mind, but rather likes to continuously develop her visual language further. Upcycled lingerie pieces are just such a continuum in de Bètoly’s collection, and we saw them this time again, with undershirts turned into skirts and bras becoming sculptural bodices. The opening look was an elegant black-and-white checkered tweed costume, but with knitted sleeves and inserts. There were vintage nightgowns, hand pleated and structured into dresses; there were two-piece sets made out of this silky ruffle fabric that de Bètoly created by slicing up and brushing pink bed sheets that were part of a previous set design; and there was a long dress with a beaded top, panty, and robe combination, all made out of an old brocade-like blanket. From the most delicate knitted nylon naked dresses with bead embellishments or mohair woven into them, to a wedding gown with feather details (the feathers were collected by de Bètoly’s parents, who own chickens), almost everything in the collection seemed airy and weightless. On the less fairytale side, we saw ruffled tweed costumes, leather tops made out of rewoven belts, or a mini skirt and neckholder top that de Bètoly made out of bike reflectors she collected on her way to work over the past three years.
“I like the idea that these pieces tell a story about me, and they are one of a kind. It’s a dialogue between craftsmanship, tradition, and couture, but in the end it’s all made out of what one could consider trash. So there is also a little humor in there,” the designer said.
It’s exactly what’s so charming about her pieces; although de Bétoly does work with stockists such as H. Lorenzo in Los Angeles or APOC Store, many of her gowns and garments are not 100% reproducible and are often made-to-order—for clients rightly including Beyoncé and Dua Lipa.
