Stockholmfashiondays.com - Being Bea Szenfeld

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”I have always been open to and enjoyed different projects”, says Bea Szenfeld on why she has managed to become not only one of our best designers, but also a media darling. Swedes are well known for jealousy so it definitely takes some courage to stick out and dare to be different.

It was in 2003 that Bea decided to participate in a reality show called “Fashion House” which was a forerunner to “Project Runway”. Before this she had finished her education at Beckmans School of Design, something that was very useful considering the challenges she would meet on the show as well as after.

Bea Szenfeld Very few designers in Sweden are well known to the public, their clothes might be, but not the actual person. This obviously changes when you feature in a show that is broadcast on national TV. And when it was, not everyone in (the conservative) fashion industry was thrilled. For Bea the important thing was that it was a good and fun opportunity to learn new things. “The important thing was that I was competing with my work and not me as a person; then I most definitely would not have won”, she explains with a smile. “Another important thing was that it was a good jury that I could learn a lot from”, she continues.

Obviously she did a fabulous job as the highly qualified jury chose Bea as the winner against tough competition with other very talented designers from the rest of Europe. The prize was an internship with Stella McCartney in London. It was supposed to be for three months but was extended to eight and it was eight months of hard work. “I was incredibly happy about my education at Beckmans. It taught me to solve tasks without too much help”, she says. “Another good experience was from the show as we all learnt a lot about your own capacity, being cut off from the rest of the world as we were”, she continues.

Her time in London was obviously a fantastic experience but it was also long hours and the problem of getting “stuffed with inspiration” but no time to do anything with it. So after eight months it was time to pack the bags and go back to Stockholm. “I loved the time in London. It was great to be part of something big, to have so much fashion around and to be in the middle of everything but… I need time to breathe and get outlet for my own inspiration and creativity”, Bea explains.

Back in Stockholm it was time to sit down and get all the bits and pieces together to form the label Bea Szenfeld. She had started work with her own label before “Fashion House” but forming a label is a long process. “It was only after the last show in August that I felt I had got it all together”, she explains.

From Bea's August show at Nordic Light Hotel

Though Stockholm might have a slower pace than London when it comes to fashion, Bea is an optimist. “Stockholm has developed so much in the past few years and success breeds success. Whenever other Swedish designers are doing well abroad it will spill over on the rest”, she says. “The only thing I am worried about right now is the potential slow down in the economy. Smaller designer labels are one of the first things people save on when they have less money. It is important to have worked hard when the economy is good to make it through a period like the one ahead.”

“One thing that might make it easier for small Swedish designers is that we have come a long way when it comes to sustainability and thinking about the environment. Most of us produce locally within the EU and most designers have at least part of the collection in ecological cotton”, she says.

Personally I think that Bea is a perfect example showing that being optimistic and ready to take on a challenge is a good recipe for success and I have absolutely no doubt that she will go very far.