Poet in motion
IS THERE AN ARTIST WHO HAS BEEN AN ENDURING INFLUENCE? French architect and designer Charlotte Perriand [12].
DO YOU COLLECT ANYTHING? Seashells. I recently put my passion into practice collaborating with Nature Squared on a furniture collection, Exploring Eden [8], made using waste shells. FAVOURITE WATCH? Rado invited me to design a watch and, inspired by the cool, confident women I know, my design True Thinline ‘Studs’ [5] is about a contemporary, more nuanced femininity. FRAGRANCE OF CHOICE? When I travel, I take frankincense and rose oils, a combination that instantly grounds and calms me. BOOKS – WHAT ARE YOU READING NOW? I keep a beautiful book on my nightstand called Seashells of Eastern Arabia [10] by Donald Bosch that feeds my imagination when I am not out collecting real shells. Lethal White, the fourth novel in the Cormoran Strike series, written by JK Rowling under her pseudonym, Robert Galbraith. MUSIC – WHAT’S ON ROTATION AT OFFICE AND HOME? ‘Pang!’ [9], from Super Furry Animals front man Gruff Rhys. Welsh musician and producer Cate Le Bon. Singer-songwriter Aldous Harding. BEST DOWNTIME (IF YOU EVER HAVE ANY) PURSUIT? I love yoga – I met my husband Massimo on a yoga retreat. I also love travelling and spending time in nature – both provide inspiration for my work. DO YOU ENTERTAIN AT HOME AND/OR WHAT IS YOUR RESTAURANT OF CHOICE? Mazi in Notting Hill is a favourite for the Bethan Gray team for its Greek warmth and hospitality. Massimo is a fantastic cook and we love to entertain friends and family at home.
WHAT IS YOUR PREFERRED TIPPLE? My father is Scottish, so I’m partial to a single malt. Last year, I created an immersive experience at The Glenlivet distillery to celebrate the launch of Vintage 1967, the third addition to The Winchester Collection of limited-edition 50-year-old single malts [2] – the tasting was a real treat!
FILMS THAT HAVE INSPIRED YOU? Cinema Paradiso [7], which is really the story of leaving everything you know behind to follow your dreams with the full support of your loved ones.
SHOPS YOU FREQUENT? Egg in London’s Belgravia, the city’s bestkept secret. Liberty – I could lose myself there for days.
TRAVEL – FAVOURITE REGULAR HAUNT AND WHERE IS ON YOUR MUST-SEE LIST? My maternal family descends from a nomadic clan that migrated across Arabia and Persia for centuries – perhaps where my passion for travel comes from. The fort at Nizwa [1] in Oman and the traditional dhow boats were both key inspirations in my Shamsian collection [11]. Wales, to catch up with friends and family. LIST A FEW OBJECTS OF DESIRE YOU WOULD BUY RIGHT NOW
A piece by Charlotte Perriand – perhaps a vintage bookcase [4]. A work by Petra Börner, a London-based Swedish artist whose drawings are full of movement [13]. A Carolina Bucci ‘Florentine’ cuff [6]. A piece of Genevieve Bennett’s sculpted leather work [3]. WHAT PROJECTS ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO? Collaborating with one of the UK’s most celebrated leather craftsmen and handpainting my dhow pattern onto a leather hide. bethangray.com
An inherent passion for travelling the globe informs the life and creative
language of designer Bethan Gray.