«I love this idea of real objects, somehow flattened to be archived. There’s a mix of natural and artificial fibers. Real hair in contrast with the plastic hair of a brush»
Lou de Betoly shooting for Lampoon Issue 24
Lou de Betoly: I’m collecting a lot of things, and I archive all my clothes by photocopying them. I love this idea of real objects, somehow flattened. There’s a mix of natural and artificial fibres. Real hair in contrast with the plastic hair of a brush. Or a real flower and a fabric one. Or stones and porcelain. Lou de Bètoly is an anagram of my birth name. Since I am a child I’ve always loved photocopy machines.
Lou de Betoly
Lou De Betoly is a French designer who works and lives in Berlin. Her main sources of inspiration are chaos, surrealism, nostalgia, decadence, extravagance and onirism. In a consequently distinctive way she works a detailed craftsmanship and embellishment techniques in a timeless context.
Since 2017, Lou de Bétoly has been inspiring and intriguing us consistently, with textile work, fine attention to detail, and unmistakable, unmissable campaigns, models, and cohorts. Nearing the end of a chaotic year, Fräulein had a little chat with the face behind the nostalgic, the playful, and the elegantly kitsch LOU DE BÈTOLY.
In 2022, the notions of good and bad taste may have become completely useless. Fashion is primarily a source of entertainment for most audiences. And clearly aimed at a hype-hungry public, which consumes hundreds of images on a daily basis. Magazines no longer dictate what people should wear and brands work directly with their consumers, who have in turn become docile influencers themselves.
Still, this mass discourse permeating fashion today does not necessarily imply that designers have stopped investigating the meanings behind our clothes and how fashion could make sense. Berlin-based French designer Lou de Bètoly belongs to an exciting wave of talents questioning the status quo, as well as looking for new ways to create collections beyond the usual calendars, while making them playful, unique, sustainable and smart at once.
That may seem like a lot to ask, but independent designers are facing a tough climate, which is not devoid of opportunities either. The industry has to change, and change comes from actual practice and concrete ideas, as opposed to vacant words. We caught up with Bètoly to discuss her subjective vision of fashion, letting go of stylistic categories and how art and craft get to meet up.
Editorial Team
