Beth Richards Makes Some Sweet Suits

Beth Richards is a really cool lady who has been a behind-the-scenes fixture in the Canadian fashion industry for a long time. For the last decade she's been honing her skills designing clothes and accessories at a bunch of fashion and lifestyle brands like Sears, Roots and Aritzia. Now she's doing something way cooler! This past year Beth came out with her own eponymous swimwear line, proving that sometimes, years of hard work do pay off.

She says her debut collection of swimwear/beachwear for SS12 aimed to fill a previously unfilled water-wear niche, reflecting her love of function, minimalism and all things black. I guess this niche was ready for her because Beth's line just got picked up by Net-A-Porter and now she's getting all sorts of attention.

You're originally from Toronto but now you're in Vancouver. How do the two cities compare fashion-wise?

Vancouver definitely has a different personality. Comfort is a lot more of a thing, everyone is dressed down. I miss dressing up. I would love for it to be more elevated here. No one really sees us as being fashionable at all and I understand why when you think about the vast majority. People don't necessarily have the best taste.

The ocean is something I miss most of all since moving East. Do you and the ocean have a special bond?

It's not until you're here that you realize the impact it has. Beach culture is not the same out East. I used to go to beaches in Toronto and you cant even go in the water it's so polluted. There's a lot of tourists around. It's just not as beautiful. Venice, California is one of my favourite places because it has that mix of city grit and then the beautiful beach. I love the ocean.

How did the swimsuit thing happen?

Theres a lot of beach culture here in Vancouver. People would be surprised to know that because whenever people talk about Vancouver they talk about rain. We were going to the beach a lot in the summer and I didn't know what do. I was looking at vintage swimwear because all my other options were skimpy. I didn't want to look like everyone else or have to wear American Apparel in my 30's. One season went by and then I was like, OK, I have to do this.

So you saw the need and you met it. Shopping for swimsuits can be a nightmare for a lot of people. Like seeing your mostly naked body in a 360 degree mirror with bad lighting is pretty depressing. Is that something you think about?

I'm trying to make women feel as comfortable as possible. In the early stages of the season when you're really pale and haven't been hitting the gym, it is painful. Coverage is a really important part of the collection. You don't need to be sexy by showing it all off. I went to the salon the other day and there was these older women in these tiny bikinis and they have these tits…not everyone needs to be wearing a string bikini.

Your collection has a lot of the upside-down cross pattern. Were you goth in high school?

I was a raver more than anything. The cross is just an iconic thing to me. It's my debut collection and there were undertones I wanted to make clear. Most brands only sell stuff that's full of colour and print and I just wanted a black bathing suit that fit well. I got push-back from people saying there's no way you are going to be able to just sell black swimsuits. Every time you hear that you realize: I'm onto something. It's new if people don't get it. The cross is an icon and I wanted the collection to feel iconic.

It seems like most Canadian designers move to the U.S after they gain a lot of attention. If your brand explodes will you relocate?

Yeah. It's not a Canadian/American kind of sensibility, it just comes down to opportunity. When we talk about Vancouver or Toronto being “on the map” it means these cities are taken more seriously, they have the right forum, the right support. Fashion is an old industry and it's foundations in North America have always been rooted in New York. There is more of an understanding there and being around people that understand the business is important. Why wouldn't you want to surround yourself with the best of the best, wherever that may be?

How do you feel about the (defunct) "sea-punk" movement? Apparently these kids believe the future will be an apocalyptic water-world. That would mean good business for you.

I guess when you're the one trying to create culture there's a part of it that you lose touch with. You always think thats not going to happen but it starts to. Are these the kinds of kids that dance under bridges and stuff?