Interview with Bethany Williams, former Queen Elizabeth ii Award Winner, Fashion Roundtable Ambassador whose show ‘This Wild, Achingly Beautiful Place’ is on show now

She really is one of the most special people I have ever met.

Bethany Williams in the orchard on the grounds of the Bethlem Royal Hospital on the occasion of her solo exhibition ‘Bethany Williams: This Wild, Achingly Beautiful Place’ at Bethlem Gallery, 2025. Copyright Bethlem Gallery. Photo Ben McDade.

1) Bethany, I first met you as a recent fashion graduate with a sustainability and social justice mission. In fact you spoke on the first panel Fashion Roundtable hosted about this back in 2018. You really impressed me with the clarity of your vision. Why has social impact always been core to your values and work?

I was brought up with these kinds of values, they feel intrinsic to me so it’s how I’ve navigated through my work too. It’s something that I’ve been so interested in and on my BA (before I did my MA in fashion) I actually studied Critical Fine Art Practice - I was really interested in how our practices were providing alternative systems within our social structures. I kind of wanted to create a new system within a fashion and art context. And I was really interested in systems design and how you could use that for bettering social and environmental practices.

2) How would you define your creative practice?

I believe my creative practice starts with research into a subject matter or into something I’m trying to communicate, or a feeling I’m trying to translate. I build a large body of research first and then from that body of research I’ll work within systems design to create a new system for each collection that we produce. I also take on commissions and work with different/arts organisations to share the messaging for a collection, the story I was trying to tell and bringing that story to life through materiality.

3) Could you please explain what this exhibition is and what are you hoping it will achieve? Where and for how long can people see it?

The exhibition is called ‘This Wild, Achingly Beautiful Place’ and it is showing at the Bethlem Gallery which is situated on the grounds of the Bethlem Royal Hospital. The show is now open (since the 11th of October) until the end of January. It’s a body of work about my lived experience over the last four years – it’s about invisible disability and chronic illness. I’ve been able to explore the archives at the Museum of the Mind (who share a building with Bethlem Gallery) and build up a body of research for this work. It’s about the importance of nature and reconnecting with nature and the mind-body connection. I found it hard to return to being creative again, so I’ve been working with natural dyes and clay – a way for me to get back into being creative without any pressure of textiles or fashion.

Bethany Williams, Porcelain and Light, 2025. Copyright Bethany Williams and Bethlem Gallery. Photo Ben McDade.

4) Are you stepping away from fashion design, or is this part of a larger creative practice?

No, I wouldn’t say I’m stepping away from fashion design. I think before my recovery, I was doing the fashion projects and I was doing the commissions. Now it’s both an extension of my creative practice, plus I never want to close any doors. But I felt like I wanted to create sculpture for this show, and I really wanted to work with ceramics. When I was really unwell, I created a Life 2.0 Pinterest board of the stuff I would be doing if I did make improvements or have recovery - on that was being in nature and a lot was ceramics. I feel like it’s just an extension of my artistic practice and fashion also sits under that. I’d never want to shut any doors, I’m just up for opening new ones.

5) I can remember when you won the award from HM the Queen, then the Duchess of Cornwall. I was so proud! What did winning that award mean to you?

Yeah, it was an amazing moment - I was very humbled and very happy. I was also shocked as I didn’t expect it at all. It was amazing to have all the people in the room who had supported me along the way - to have everyone from the projects we worked on, the social projects, be there. It was so great to be given the recognition for the work I’d been doing and it really did open a lot of doors for me. I’m very, very grateful for this once in a lifetime experience.

6) More recently you have been unwell, how has this impacted your work and what lessons in terms of support for creatives do you think we need in place to support talented people such as yourself during those times?

Over the last four years, I’ve been taking time out and returning slowly to my creative practice due to a chronic illness. I’ve had to slow down my pace and really try and fill my cup back up. I think um I was burning the candles at both ends and I already had a vulnerable disposition. There was a lot of pressure placed on me... I’m so grateful for all the experiences I’ve had, but I think I needed this time to really look after myself. I didn’t really understand at the time what was going on, how much time I would need out, how serious it actually was. It was a really hard thing to navigate, and I had to do quite a bit of it in isolation. There does need to be more support for creatives going through similar experiences, on how to navigate that - how do you stay creative in those times? It’s such a big question that I’m not sure I have all the answers for.

7) What is next for Bethany Williams?

I’m currently going to be working between fashion and art, moving forward with that journey and taking it step by step. I want to make work about lived experience, translating feelings into creativity and also enjoy being back in my creative process - returning to the world again! It is a beautiful moment and I’ve had so many lovely words of support with what’s been happening. I’m excited to continue the journey and see where life takes me.

Location: Bethlem Gallery, Bethlem Royal Hospital, Monks Orchard Road, Beckenham, Kent, BR3 3BX

In this immersive exhibition, Bethany presents a new body of artwork that explores personal experiences of chronic illness and incorporates her skilful and sustainable approach to materials, textures and design.

The exhibition continues Wednesday to Saturday, 9.30am to 5pm until Saturday 10 January 2026.