INSPIRED BY ICONS

When Canadian designer Beth Richards moved from her city dwellings of Toronto to greener pastures in Vancouver, she noticed something most necessary was not only missing from her wardrobe, but also hard to find; Quality Modern Swimwear.

As locals do in Vancouver, spending her summer days at the beach and not finding anything in the marketplace that reflected her style, the BETH RICHARDS brand was born.

The debut Spring Summer 12 collection is inspired by ICONS. Beth drew inspiration from the iconography of the cross, and muses across the decades like Brigitte Bardot and Audrey Hepburn, Cindy Crawford and Kate Moss. The graphic component was an important element in this collection and from her love of early street and skateboard culture, Beth created the Censor and the Locs, which stems from Dogtown’s locals only tags. The colour palette plays into the ICON theme boldly with black and white and brings a contrast when compared to colourful prints currently available in the marketplace.

This collection was designed with a degree of duplicity. The suits can be worn on the beach and poolside or worn as bodysuits and mixed with everyday classics. The silhouettes have reference to vintage and lingerie with high waists, mesh, and bustier cups. It was important for Beth to make suits that are sexy but also flatter forms and give the wearer confidence. The suits are as functional as they are luxurious, all created with the highest quality stretch fabrics from Italy, and all garments are made in Canada with attention to fit and detail.

Beth consciously considers protecting her skin from the sun, therefore selected the finest fabric that not only retains its shape over time, but also protects the skin against UV rays with UPF 50+. It is also resistant to oils, lotions and perspiration, and proves optimal resistance to chlorine.

This season BETH RICHARDS stockists include; Worldwide Online Retailer NET-A-PORTER.com, Roden Gray and Tailored Goods in Vancouver, Canada and Black Parrot in Maine, USA.

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