Meet Bea Szenfeld, the designer behind the 2018 WINTER collection
Swedish designer and artist Bea Szenfeld has a knack for creating amazing garments and art pieces out of plain paper. Now the virtuoso brings her skills to IKEA and the upcoming WINTER collection.
Bea Szenfeld first appeared on the public stage when she starred in the Swedish reality show Fashion house. That was fifteen years ago – since then she’s become a well-known figure on the art and fashion scene in Sweden as well as abroad. Bea’s work has been exhibited around the world and her amazing paper creations have been worn by stars like Lady Gaga and Björk. The awe-inspiring and technically advanced garments are nearly impossible to wear but beautiful enough to make people try.
Being the designer/artist/artisan that she is, Bea has never felt the need to fit into a specific genre. She started out as a ceramic artist and has worked in more materials than we can mention here, some more eye-catching than others (or how about clothes made of pasta or lettuce?). But her first choice is always the same – paper.
“There’s something about paper that I just love. It’s unpretentious and folksy. We go great together.”
For her collaboration with IKEA, Bea has combined her paper passion with her love for the holiday season.
“I grew up with it being a really important part of the year, so on the one hand I’m quite traditional. I always have a real tree for example, even if it’s super tricky to get it up the stairs and into my flat. On the other hand, that same tree nearly topples over by all the birds in different shapes and sizes that I decorate it with.”
First and foremost, Bea roots for going all in:
“There are no rules when it comes to holiday decorations. The main thing is that you’re having fun and don’t feel that you must do things a certain way. Just go with your gut.”
In WINTER collection Bea and IKEA go for twinkling lights and paper craft – creating a festive atmosphere with a whiff of fairy tale.
“WINTER is definitely maximalist with all the details and its playfulness, but then a lot of the items are in white which kind of makes them minimalist. So, I guess I would describe the collection as minimalist maximalism – with a fun twist.”
Bea’s work isn’t widely available to buy, with every piece being unique and the result of hours of crafting. Thanks to the IKEA collaboration she’ll now be able to reach and share her craft with many more people – and she loves the idea.
“Even if I haven’t made each of the WINTER items by hand, they are all interpretations of my artistry. Hopefully that will make people like them even more.”
The Bea Szenfeld WINTER collection will be in store by October 2018.