By Bethany Berkeley
Bernadette and Charlotte de Geyter (Youn Jung Kim)
BERNADETTE, founded by mother-daughter duo Bernadette and Charlotte de Geyter, is known for its striking and minimalist designs, inspired by the natural world.
Bernadette de Geyter, a former buyer for Ralph Lauren and other luxury brands. and her daughter Charlotte de Geyter, a talented artist and graduate of the Royal Academy of Arts, both founded their fashion brand in 2018. Featuring silk-patterned dresses and separates, most of which are adorned with hand-drawn botanical motifs by Charlotte herself, the BERNADETTE aesthetic is a fusion of minimalism and maximalism.
The designs though simple and elegant, are also eye-catching and unique. The brand uses dynamic colours that allow the botanical prints to take centre stage. A brand for women of all ages and body types, we caught up with the duo breathing new life into the flower motif, to learn more about the dream team.
Charlotte de Geyter (left) & Bernadette and Charlotte de Geyter (right)- Youn Jung Kim
Bethany- So talk me through both of your journeys into the fashion industry?
Charlotte: My first big experience in fashion was starting my studies in the academy. It was a super intense time of finding my signature and translating what I stand for into my drawings and designs. I enjoyed this so much and wanted to continue to share this through my brand. Along the way, we have learned so much and are so grateful to see so many inspiring women wear the brand.
Bernadette: I have always been attracted to creating different moods through styling and interior as well. Putting my spin around things is what I’m best at. My journey started at Ralph Lauren, where I was very inspired by the entire universe that started from ready-to-wear and continued in the entire lifestyle, and the interior as well.
Bethany- What made you both decide to go into fashion and ultimately create a fashion brand?
Charlotte: I’ve always been drawn to creativity and have had passion projects from very young onwards. Meanwhile being raised by such an inspiring mum that had a big love for fashion, influenced me in choosing to study fashion.
Bernadette: Dressing up, styling looks, creating different atmospheres, and challenging myself, are things I have always had fun with.
Charlotte: After graduating from the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp, starting a brand together felt like it was always meant to be, combining both our passion and strengths, and telling our story through the brand.
BERNADETTE SS23 Campaign
"Starting a brand together felt like it was always meant to be, combining both our passion and strengths, and telling our story through the brand. "
Bethany- Does art play a big part in your design process?
Charlotte: It is very important. I start each collection by drawing freely and creating a mood, through creating different prints. This is a process I enjoy very much as this is as free as I can be. I’m also very inspired by my boyfriend who’s an artist. Spending time together every day influences me by admiring the creative freedom you can find back in the arts.
Bethany- What part of the design and production process are your favourites?
Charlotte: For me, it’s that quiet time at the beginning, where I start with an extensive mood board and see where my drawings take me. Once I start combining my prints with my garment designs, there is where the most fun for me lies.
Bernadette: I like the end where we see the collection come together and we get to style different looks and see it come to life.
Bethany- What's it like working together?
Bernadette: It’s a lot of fun but what we value the most is that we’ll always give our honest opinion and there’s a strong foundation of trust which is key for starting a business together.
BERNADETTE SS23 Campaign
"We’re showing our SS24 collection in October, and our starting point was female icons. What we enjoy the most is seeing so many different women wear our pieces."
Bethany- What struggles have you both faced on your journey so far and how did you overcome them?
Charlotte: The rapidness of fashion is something you face quickly, I feel that the mindset of customers can change so quickly. There can be a big demand for eveningwear and a few months later the mood can change and customers might be focusing on our lifestyle collections.
Bethany- What was the inspiration behind your most recent collection?
Charlotte: We’re showing our SS24 collection in October, and our starting point was female icons. What we enjoy the most is seeing so many different women wear our pieces. We want to celebrate that anyone can put their spin around Bernadette, that’s what we want to see.
Bethany- So what's next for BERNADETTE?
Charlotte & Bernadette: We’ll be celebrating our 5 years in November – just wait and see for what’s to come!
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